Brutus Wellington Hodge, 77, born on September 10, 1940 to the late Reverend Samuel A. Hodge Sr. and the late Kathleen {Terry) Hodge, peacefully passed away on December 7, 2017. Brutus or Bootsie, as he was lovingly known to many friends and loved ones was born in Cowan, TN, and later moved to Newburgh, NY, where he resided and worked most of his adult life. Upon retiring, as the owner and director of the Brutus Hodge Funeral Home on Chamber St. Newburgh, NY, he retired to Thomasville, NC to be closer to his children. 'A Man of the Community' . . . The Hodge Family was well known throughout the Hudson Valley. Hodge Funeral Home was the place you would go to get consoled, finance and advice. Brutus was one person that knew what was going on in the community, and if he didn't have the information he knew who to send you to get the information. He worked very closely with the Republican Party, he was a committee member. Being the only black Funeral Home, Brutus made sure whether you had money or no money, you had a decent funeral service. He had a great love for the people. Brutus received many awards; the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. award, the Most Deserving Black award, the NAACP award, the Orange County Human Rights award to name a few. He believed in doing positive things for the community; he served on the Orange County Community Board of Directors for several years. He lost no words in letting you know how much he loved Newburgh. If you were one to 'bad talk' Newburgh he would say 'You should leave if you don't like Newburgh.' Long live more people like Brutus W. Hodge . . . A lover of Orange County. Survivors include his children: Donna (Kim) Hodge, Teri Hodge (Barry), Kevin Hodge (Candice), all of Durham, NC, Tara Hodge-Brown of Thomasville, NC, Scott Hodge of Adams Center, NY, Waverly Hodge of Richmond, VA; grandchildren: Terrell, Daquain, Shayla, Tamika, Philip, Christopher, Matthew (Jennifer) and Justin; great-grandchildren: Alycia, Landon and Aria, Lucille Potter - mother of Kim, Tara, Teri and Kevin; sisters-in-law: Lily Hodge of Greer, SC and Elizabeth Keyes of OH; first cousins: Delores Hodge, William Baines "Pee-Wee", Barbara Jean Hodge, Penny Gamble and Sandra Tucker, and many nieces and nephews. Brutus was predeceased by his beloved wife, Brenda (Ruffin) Hodge; brothers: Samuel A. Hodge Jr., Theodore Hodge and Danny M. Hodge, and a sister-in-law, Dorothy "Dottie" Hodge. A family hour will be from 10 to 11 a.m., Friday, December 15th with a Celebration of Brutus' Life beginning at 11 a.m. with Rev. Byron Williams, officiating. Family and Friends are invited to the Baptist Temple Church, 9 Williams St., Newburgh, NY 12550 for his Homegoing Ceremony. Burial will be private in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Newburgh, NY. Arrangements have been entrusted to Joseph J. Darrow Sr. Funeral Home Inc., 39 S. Hamilton St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. 845-452-1840; to send online condolences, visit www.darrowfuneralhome.org   September 10, 1940 - December 7, 2017