Thomas "Tommy" Dodge

Thomas Ray Dodge (Tom) was born on February 12, 1939, in Houston, Texas, to Juanita Conner, and passed from this life on September 10th, 2026 at the age of 87.

Tom grew up in Cleburne, Texas, and graduated from Cleburne High School with the class of 1957.

He married the love of his life, Brenda Stinson, on January 29, 1960, at the Poly Church of Christ in Fort Worth. Tom served in the 49th Division of the National Guard and was called to active duty at Fort Polk, Louisiana, during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. He was honorably discharged in April 1964.

In his early days, he worked as a fireman at the T&P Railroad while attending college on the GI Bill. He graduated in 1964 from Arlington State College (now the University of Texas at Arlington) and went on to earn a master’s degree in English from North Texas State University in 1968.

Tom dedicated over 30 years to teaching; sharing his love of literature and language as an English teacher at Mansfield High School and later as a professor at Blinn College in Brenham and Mountain View College in Dallas. He was a gifted educator who inspired generations of students to think critically, ask questions, and write with purpose.

After retiring from teaching in 1994, Tom poured his time into his passion for writing. He became a prolific Texas writer and commentator. His novel Oedipus Road is a moving account of his journey to uncover his father’s identity through his mother’s fading memory. His writing appeared in Texas Monthly, The Dallas Morning News book review section, and as commentaries on KERA Radio’s Morning Edition. He was a proud member of The Texas Institute of Letters, where he made many literary friendships. He was known for his thoughtful insights, sense of humor, and deep curiosity about the world.

To his family and longtime friends, he was affectionately known as Tommy. He will be remembered for his humor, quick wit, and loyalty. Above all, Tom was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He loved his family with a passion and was always there to support and help them with any problem they had. He was a proud Papa to his grandchildren and especially loved sharing with them his interest in books, movies, and music; passing along his curiosity, imagination, and appreciation for the arts.

Tom also had a deep love for animals and shared his life with many cherished pets, whom he considered part of the family. Among them were dogs Blacki, Cindy, Orka, Cooper, Four, and Krackers, and cats Mousey, Spanky, Harriet, and Bob.

Later in life, Tom was blessed to discover and connect with his half-sister and half-brother, Helen and Jack Mann, deepening his understanding of his identity; something he valued greatly.

He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years Brenda Dodge; daughter Karen Conner Hoover (Terry); son Lowell Dodge (Valerie); sister -in-law Betty Cook (John) ; and brothers-in-law David Stinson (Teri) and Danny Stinson (Terry). He was a proud grandfather to Haylee Douglas (Michael), Beth Thornton (Lucas), Brittany Lewis, and Andrew (AJ) Dodge; and great-grandfather to Mason, Eva, and Ruby Douglas, Jack and Miller Thornton, and Lyndon Simmons.
He had many lifelong friends and especially cherished his long-lasting friendship with his colleagues Paul Benson and Billy Oxcheer.

He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Lindon Dodge; his mother Juanita and stepfather Raymond Basham; his grandparents Charlie and Annie Conner, who lovingly raised him as their own; and his parents-in-law, Jim and Retha Stinson.

May Tom’s legacy live on through the stories he wrote, the students he taught, and the family he loved so deeply. His laughter, kindness, and presence will be missed and remembered always.

The family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the staff at Legacy Oaks and Hospice Plus for the compassion and care they provided during Tom’s final years.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Dementia Society of America
P.O. Box 600
Doylestown, PA
18901