Hodges remembered as hospice founder

Hodges remembered as hospice founder 
The News-Gazette, Lexington, VA; by Scotty Dransfield; 2/12/25
Helen Hodges, the last living founder of what is now Connections Plus Hospice + Healthcare, died on Feb. 1, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and dedication, and a lasting impact on health care in Rockbridge County. Her work helped shape end-of-life care in the area, ensuring that those facing their final days could do so with dignity and comfort. Hodges was one of the four women ... who set out in the late 1970s to bring hospice care to the community. They were a grassroots team with no paid staff and no established structure — just a vision of providing comfort and support for terminally ill patients and their families. By 1983, their efforts had formalized into an official organization, and in 1984, Rockbridge Area Hospice was officially chartered. ... A stone plaque in the hospice gardens now bears her name, a quiet but permanent reminder of the foundation she built. ...