Linda Hodges

Obituary for Linda Ballard Hodges

Linda Ballard Hodges, born July 21, 1948, in Albany, Georgia, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on October 13, 2024, leaving a rich legacy of music, kindness, and community service. Raised by her parents, Edwin and Geraldine Ballard in Maitland, Florida. Linda developed a passion for music early in life, playing clarinet in her high school’s marching band and ultimately earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Jacksonville University.

Linda dedicated her life to using her unique talents to serve churches and her community. Much of her time, talent, and love were devoted to the congregations of Lake Shore, Arlington, and First Presbyterian Churches in Jacksonville and Trinity Presbyterian Church in Palm Coast. She was passionate about her work with children’s choirs and youth groups, including teaching music to children in need in downtown Jacksonville (now Sanctuary on 8th Street). Linda spent many summers traveling with youth groups on mission trips across the southeast, as well as the mountains of North Carolina for the Montreat Youth Conference. Her choirs had the honor of traveling out-of-state to perform under Linda’s direction, including a youth choir tour that culminated in a concert in New York City and adult choirs who performed at Carnegie Hall. These were some of her most treasured moments professionally and a source of pride and joy. She proudly wore her prized 'Ask Me About My Carnegie Hall Debut' t-shirt, always eager to share the experience and accomplishments of her choirs. In addition to directing choirs and teaching private voice and piano lessons, Linda was an accomplished musician. She established herself as a talented singer, clarinetist, and pianist, and loved playing her recorders of many shapes and sizes. She also had the opportunity to perform as an alternate clarinetist in the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

Linda’s contributions to the musical community were recognized in local newspapers. She was often featured for her achievements as a choir director at the Trinity Presbyterian Church of Palm Coast, where she also founded the Community Choir of Palm Coast in 2010 and grew the choir from 25 to over 70 singers. Additionally, she began the annual tradition of performing Handel's Messiah and invited her sons to sing in these concerts. She retired in 2017 and celebrated with her family on a cruise to the Bahamas.

Most of all, Linda was a devoted mother and grandmother and was extremely proud of her family. She loved celebrating the holidays, singing Christmas carols, playing games (she was a fierce competitor!), and trying new restaurants. Her favorite family gatherings included cooking Thanksgiving dinner and hosting ice cream parties (with lots of toppings!).

Linda's musical talents, commitment to her field, and passion for helping others were passed down to Michael, a registered nurse, singer, and pianist, and Timothy, a professional singer based out of New York City. Linda enjoyed her frequent visits with Michael and watching him sing with the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus. She often attended live streams of Timothy's Sunday morning services and concerts at Trinity Wall Street and enjoyed visiting him in the New York City area. Michael's wife, Carrington, also a registered nurse, took great care of Linda, taking her to her appointments and favorite shopping spots (especially Target, Starbucks, and The Dollar Tree). Timothy’s wife, Gillian, is a speech-language pathologist and Executive Director of the nonprofit, Sing Aphasia, which Linda enjoyed listening to through Zoom. One of Linda's favorite titles was "Grandma Linda" to her grandson, Lincoln. She loved watching him open piles of presents she bought him for Christmas, playing games together, and seeing him in the audience at her concerts. Linda reminisced often about the Christmas Eve snow of 1989 in Jacksonville. An avid Jacksonville Jaguars fan, her love for the team was captured in a local newspaper photo, nervously watching a nail-biting game in 1996. She loved showing off the tricks she taught her beloved cat, Pepper. She shared her stories with family and friends with so much life and joy, ensuring that they would continue to bring smiles and laughter for many years to come. 

Prior to her retirement from the community choir, Linda was quoted in the local newspaper about her final concert as director, expressing, “it's going to be upbeat and just really fun," and this is how her family wants her to be remembered. Linda’s joyous spirit, infectious laugh, and dedication to her family and community will be cherished and fondly remembered by all who knew her.

Linda is survived by her sons, Michael and Timothy, daughters-in-law, Carrington and Gillian, and grandson, Lincoln.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Fernandina Beach (9 N 6th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034) on Saturday, October 19th at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Sanctuary on 8th Street: https://sanctuaryon8th.org/. Family and friends are welcome to wear colorful clothing to celebrate Linda’s dynamic and vibrant life.