By:Karenlyn Barone
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Hodes graduated from the University of Cape Town Medical School in 1956, where he specialized in family medicine. The following year he married, and he and his wife, Hannah, settled in what is now Zimbabwe. Hodes practiced family medicine there for more than 20 years.
Then, in 1977, he decided to emigrate to the U.S. in order to escape his country's civil war. The family settled in Oceanside, and Hodes began practicing in East Rockaway, specializing in internal medicine. To Hodes's delight, his son, Leon, joined the practice about 10 years ago.
The day after Hodes died, heartfelt testimonials were posted on a Long Island daily newspaper's Web site. "We always had tremendous respect for him as a doctor and a gentleman - for he was, indeed," read one posting.
Another patient recalled that Hodes made house calls when he felt her children were too ill to come to the office. Another, from Oceanside, said simply, "There were very few doctors in the world like [Hodes]."
Rabbi Mark Greenspan of the Oceanside Jewish Center described Hodes as a gentleman among men. "He really was an extraordinary man," he said. "He was the kind of doctor you don't really see today. He took a genuine interest in the whole person - not just their physical health, but their general well being, too. He was a role model in the medical community, and the larger community as well."
Hodes's employees said that he was not only their boss and physician, but their friend. "It has been our privilege to watch Dr. Hodes heal thousands of patients over the years," the staff wrote in a release to the Herald. "We have had the privilege of sharing in Dr. Hodes' laughter, of being challenged by his vast knowledge and keen wit. We have long shared the joys and sorrows of each other's families and we have become one of our own. His staff, past and present, will miss him dearly and cherish our fondest memories of him forever.
Hodes is survived by his wife, Hannah; his son, Leon (and Karen); two daughters, Roslyn (and Douglas) and Laura (and Mitch); and seven grandchildren, Daniel, Zoe, Jared, Ryan, Lily, Samuel and Rachael. Services were held last Sunday, at Gutterman's Funeral Home in Rockville Centre.
