Merle Hodges
Merle Hodges, who served on the board of trustees at the Hout Bay Museum and was also one of the two representatives of the board serving on the management committee of the Denis Goldberg House of Hope, has been remembered as an experienced development worker.
Ms Hodges died on Thursday July 21.
On the Denis Goldberg House of Hope management committee, she served alongside representatives of the Denis Goldberg Trust and the provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport.
Denis Goldberg House of Hope manager Debbie Budlender, said of Ms Hodges: “Her experience in development work as well as her wide and varied networks served as the source for her many ideas. She was always one of the first to respond to requests for inputs and comments.”
Ms Hodges had offered foundational support to the Denis Goldberg House of Hope and to other community initiatives, she said.
Ms Hodges had lived in Hout Bay for many years before moving to Sea Point in 2019 but had been planning to return to live in Hout Bay, said Ms Budlender.
“Merle knew that she was in the last stages of her life, and her decision to move back to Hout Bay serves as a strong indication where her heart lay. She gave of herself far beyond Hout Bay, but for her Hout Bay was special.”