Darlene G. Hodge

Darlene Gayle (Delaney) Hodge was born in Cincinnati, OH on September 12th, 1944 to her parents Irene (Barnes) Delaney and Hugh Delaney.  She passed away on April 11th, 2024.  She was preceded in death by her husband Donald Hodge, her son David Daniel Carpenter and his loving grandfather Cliff Carpenter, and her siblings Nancy Hines (Jimmy), Hugh Delaney Jr., Gary Delaney and Debra “Debbie” Deaton (Delaney).  She is survived by her sister Pamela “Pam” Sargent (Paul), her niece and caregiver Kimberly Lyles (Ryan), mother-in-law Louise Carpenter, her stepchildren Linda Parrock and Don Hodge and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.

Darlene graduated from Hughes High School in 1963. She went on to earn a Secretarial certificate. Darlene worked for many years in the food industry and spent most of her career at Skyline Chili on Hamilton Avenue, where her management skills and friendly nature endeared her to colleagues and customers alike.

Throughout her life, Darlene found joy in the simple pleasures, whether it be camping, playing games like cornhole and croquet, or trying her luck at the casino and playing cards, especially Canasta, with family and friends. Her passion for cooking and spending quality time with her loved ones truly defined her spirit. Darlene enjoyed sitting at home watching entertainment shows and Fox news shows. She always took pride in her appearance and as a young woman she always wore her hair in a beautiful 50s bouffant.

Those who remember Darlene “Dee” will recall her unwavering spirit, her beautiful smile, and that she could always be counted on to tell you the truth (whether you liked it or not). She had a strong will, some would describe her as a “firecracker”, but she was easy to talk to and was always willing to listen at the same time. Darlene loved her family and friends and would do anything to help them when they needed it.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 from 10:30-11:00am at the Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 2155 Compton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45231 (FOLLOW THE BLUE LINE). A funeral service will follow at 11:00am with Pastor Don Stowell officiating. Burial will take place at the Arlington Memorial Gardens, 2145 Compton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45231 at 12:00pm.