Gabrielle Hodgins

Gabrielle Hodgins passed away peacefully on June 23, 2026, at the age of 96, after a life filled with love, resilience, learning, and devotion to her family.

Gabrielle was born on April 5, 1930, in the small town of Saint-Avold in northeastern France, near the German border. She was the daughter of a coal miner and grew up during some of history's most difficult years. As a young girl, she experienced the hardships of World War II firsthand. Her hometown was occupied by the German Army, and the Battle of the Bulge was fought just miles away. One of her favorite stories to tell was about the day American soldiers liberated Saint-Avold in November 1944. It was a moment she never forgot and one that shaped her lifelong appreciation for the United States.

After the war, Gabrielle met a handsome young Canadian Air Force F-86 pilot named Ray Hodgins, who was stationed in France. Their love story led her across the Atlantic in 1955 to begin a new life in Canada. They were married in Montreal that July and built a wonderful life together. They eventually welcomed three sons—Gregory, Kevin, and Pierre—and in the summer of 1966, the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio.

Gabrielle and Ray shared more than fifty years of marriage before Ray passed away in July 2007.

Her greatest joy was her family. She is lovingly remembered by her sons, Gregory (Grace Sutter), Kevin (Judy Riestenberg), and Pierre (Sweeter Manning). She was a proud grandmother to Bryan, Nicole, Halley, Sarah, Melanie, Abbey, Emily, Jonathon, and Scott, and a cherished great-grandmother to nine great-grandchildren. She was especially touched when her granddaughter Nicole and her husband, James Libbey, named their daughter Gabrielle—affectionately known as Ellie—in her honor.

Gabrielle was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who always put her family first. She believed deeply in the importance of education and encouraged curiosity throughout her life. As a teacher of both French and German, she shared not only knowledge but also a genuine love of learning with her students. She believed that education never truly ends and remained a lifelong learner herself.

She loved telling stories—especially about growing up during the war—and anyone who spent time with her probably heard at least a few of them. They weren’t just stories; they were lessons about courage, gratitude, and never taking freedom for granted.

Reading was one of Gabrielle's greatest pleasures. She especially enjoyed history and faithfully read The New York Times every day. She also had a wonderful relationship with the staff at the Lighthouse Point Library. They knew exactly the kinds of books she loved and would often set new titles aside for her, letting her know when they were waiting to be picked up. Those friendships and the library became an important part of her daily life.

Having experienced war and the liberation of her hometown as a young girl, Gabrielle never took freedom for granted. She often said that America was the greatest country in the world and remained deeply grateful for the life she was able to build here. She believed that the opportunities she found in North America allowed her and her family to live lives she could only have dreamed of as a child growing up in wartime France.

More than anything, Gabrielle will be remembered for the love she gave so freely, the strength she showed throughout her life, and the example she set for her family. She taught us to value education, treasure our family, appreciate our freedoms, and never stop learning. Her stories, her wisdom, and her generous spirit will live on in all who knew and loved her.