Robert Hodgson, Jr.

Robert Hodgson, Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, scholar, and friend, died on January 17, 2026, at the age of 82.

Bob was born on July 13, 1943, in Seattle, Washington, to Eileen (Campbell) and Robert Hodgson Sr. He grew up in the shadow of the Hanford nuclear site where his father was a banker for the new military town of Richland, WA. He graduated from Richland High School in 1961 and earned a B.A. in Theology from Gonzaga University, where he met the love of his life, Mary Downs. They were married in June of 1965 at Sacred Heart Church in Coronado, California.

Bob continued his studies at Marquette University, earning an M.A. in Theology, and in 1967 moved with Mary to Germany to pursue doctoral work. He applied to the Th.D. program of Heidelberg University and was rejected because he was Catholic. After a vote by the Lutheran faculty, Bob was admitted and became the first Catholic to graduate from its Religious Studies department since the Protestant Reformation. These years shaped both his scholarship and his lifelong humility, curiosity, and respect for differing traditions.

After earning his Doctorate in Theology, Bob taught at St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary in the Philippines, where the family lived from 1977 to 1980. Those years immersed them in missionary and humanitarian work during a period of martial law, deepening Bob’s compassion and appreciation for resilience amid hardship.

In 1980, the family returned to the United States, and Bob began a long and beloved career as a New Testament scholar at Missouri State University. In 1990, he joined the American Bible Society in New York City, helping bridge biblical storytelling and contemporary media and serving as a thoughtful voice on religion and culture on national and international media.

After retirement, Bob and Mary settled in Columbia, Missouri, where Bob enjoyed painting with his daughter Jenny and creative writing with support from friends in his writing workshops. His novel trilogy, The Androgyne Papyrus, draws from the many journeys he and Mary shared around the world.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his grandson, Campbell Phillips. He is survived by his wife Mary; daughters Mary Phillips and Jenny McGee; son Robert Hodgson III; grandchildren Price Phillips, Kate Hodgson, Jon McGee, and Ema McGee; sisters Carol Neupert, Beverly Ward, Therese Ortega, Marie Darrow, brothers Jim Hodgson and Rick Hodgson, all of Washington State; and many nieces and nephews.

Bob will be remembered for his intellect, humor and sense of adventure, but most of all for his gentleness, humility, and the sincere care he showed to others.

A private family interment will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild, P.O. Box 7795, Columbia, MO 65205-7795 or the Footloose Sailing Association, 7683 SE 27th St PMB #239, Mercer Island, WA 98040