Dorothea Hodges died in Norman, Oklahoma, after a brief illness. Dorothea was born in 1921 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the only daughter of Ada Chloe Arnold and Dr. Almon Ai Arnold, chair of the department of foreign languages at Oklahoma State University. She graduated at the age of 16 from Stillwater High School and attended college at Oklahoma State University. While at OSU, she met her future husband, Stephen Harold Ray, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, whom she married in May 1943. Dorothea graduated from OSU with her B.A. in English, and after Steve received his masters degree in florticulture from Ohio State University, the couple settled in Guthrie, where Steve managed Furrow and Company Greenhouses, one of the largest wholesale florist suppliers in the Southwest. Dorothea and Steve adopted two children, Margaret Jean Ray and Stephen Alan Ray. Steve died unexpectedly in December 1961. Suddenly the sole support of her young family, Dorothea taught Spanish in the Guthrie school system. In the mid-1960s, she earned her masters degree in Library Science from the University of Oklahoma, and moved her family from Guthrie to Edmond. Dorothea joined the senior administration of the University of Central Oklahoma Library (then Central State University). She relished her new responsibilities and impressed several generations of students and colleagues with her remarkable intelligence, patience, good humor, and managerial skills. She was always willing and eager to assist those in need, especially new students and foreign students. Dorothea opened her home to students from abroad, becoming a host family for one student from Taiwan, Linda Oyoung, who would become like a daughter to her. While serving as Head Reference Librarian, Dorothea met the man who would become her second husband, T.Gene Hodges, Dean of the Library. In January 1980, after serving UCO for more than 14 years, she married Dean Hodges and the two retired to his home in Norman, Oklahoma, to enjoy many years of living and traveling together. The Hodges went to Europe several times, where, as a member of her Presbyterian Church choir, Dorothea sang for Pope John Paul II and to crowds in St. Mark's Square in Venice. The Hodges had a special fondness for Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Dorothea and Gene spent many happy times enjoying Santa Fe's cuisine and culture. They were an inspirational, fascinating, and loving couple for more than 23 years. Dorothea was a voracious reader of both classical and popular literature. She enjoyed classical music, especially broadcasts of opera from the Met, and knew the repertoire by heart. Dorothea had a love of animals, especially cats, who were always a part of the family. She also will be remembered for her talent as a cook, and her kitchen produced wonderful holiday meals over the years for her extended family and friends. She will be recalled by those closest to her for her personal grace, kindness, humility, curious and lively intellect, smart sense of humor, and deep and selfless love of others.