Obituary of Jessica A. Hodder

Jessica Anne (Smith) Hodder, age 51, of Bolton, CT, passed away on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, after a brief battle with cancer. She was born to Kenneth and the late Mary Anne (Barber) Smith Glastonbury, CT on July 16, 1969. Jessica was a 1989 graduate of Glastonbury High School in Glastonbury, CT and attended Keene State College. She worked for several years at The Hartford Insurance Company before dedicating herself full time as a loving wife and devoted mother.  Jess was generous and kind, deeply caring and had a quick sense of humor. She had the voice of an angel and graced so many with her beautiful music, often leading her sister and cousins in song. Jessica was an avid ancestry buff and took great pride in the research she completed about her extended family. A Sherlock Holmes afficionado, Jessica founded the Diogenes Book Club, an online site dedicated to the author and his work that is now enjoyed by more than 500 international members. Family came first for Jessica. Always very close to her parents and sister Stephanie, she also developed wonderful, lasting relationships with her extended family as well as her husband’s parents and siblings. Above all, she thought the world of her husband Jeffrey and was incredibly proud of his military and law enforcement service but more than anything, his dedication as a husband and father. Jessica adored their two children Kenny and Kathryn; they were the center of her world and the lights of her life. Jessica is survived by her beloved husband of 20 years, Jeffrey Hodder and two cherished children: Kenneth and Kathryn, of Bolton, CT, her father Kenneth Smith of Glastonbury, CT, sister Stephanie (Smith) Richards and her husband Jeffrey of Columbia, CT, as well as many adoring cousins, extended family, dear friends and pup Sophie. She was pre-deceased by her mother, Mary Ann (Barber) Smith of Glastonbury, CT in 2018. The family wishes to thank the hospice team at Hartford Hospital who cared for her during her illness, and for the many prayers and words of love and encouragement received from friends and loved ones. Family and friends may call at the Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury, CT on Monday, March 22 from 5-7 pm. In order to adhere to current COVID 19 mandates, masks are required and six feet of social distancing will be maintained.  Funeral Service and Burial will be Private.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Jude. Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/.