Stephen "Steve" Taylor Hodges

     Funeral services for Stephen “Steve” Taylor Hodges, 74, of Clovis, will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, May 27, 2022, at Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Wesley Brown officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Joshua Richter, Josiah Richter, Jotham Richer, Jordan Richter, Lonnie Bickham and Chet Gurule serving as pallbearers.  All of Steve's friends will be honorary pallbearers.  The family will receive friends on Thursday from 5-7 P.M. at Wheeler Mortuary. 

     Steve, "The Great White Hunter", peacefully passed from this life on May 19, 2022, surrounded by his family.  He was born in Portales, New Mexico to Jessee Wayne "Bud" Hodges and Lola Faye (Taylor) Hodges on September 29, 1947.  He grew up in Portales, New Mexico and graduated from Portales High School in 1965. After school and on Saturday's, he worked with his dad at Hodges Seed Company. What he enjoyed most was working on cars and hunting with his dad, brother and friends.  After graduation, he served six years in the Army National Guard, worked for Pepsi Cola Company, farmed with friends and worked as a mechanic and hunting guide for a short time.

     On January 10, 1969, he married Loyce Fay Read.  Their union was blessed with three daughters, Darla, Debra and Diana (twins).  As they grew, he enjoyed teaching his girls how to shoot, trap and hunt arrowheads.

      Steve was unique, a legend of sorts. He lived to enjoy life and chose to retire at the age of 51.  Steve was a great friend and his friends meant the world to him. He was witty and kind, if he liked you, that is! He always enjoyed a good joke or story. As one of his friends said "He was a wellspring of joy!" He had many experiences hunting that he would retell making others feel as if they'd lived it themselves. Steve had a deep appreciation for nature and loved the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting and was friends with many ranch owners across Eastern New Mexico, many of which gave him hunting privileges.

     Occasionally, Steve would share nuggets of wisdom like, "There's someone in the world that wishes they were having your day." Steve was respectful and polite, traits he learned from his parents and would look for ways to make the world around him a better place. On May 12, 2022, he made the decision to give his life to the Lord, which he had been thinking of doing for some time. As he prayed that evening, he gave credit to his many friends who "stayed on him and made him say the words".

      Steve is survived by his wife, Loyce; Darla Richter of San Antonio, TX;  Debra (Bob) Peters of Salisbury, PA; Diana (Troy) Danielson of Huntingtown, Maryland; and brother, Charles "Charlie" Hodges of Magnolia, TX; and by his eighteen grandchildren and four great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his parents Jessee Wayne and Lola Faye Hodges and a grandson, Joseph Churchill Richter.

   Steve will be greatly missed and forever remembered.

  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the New Mexico Christian's Children Home.

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