IN MEMORIAM

EXPANDED EULOGIES

“In Memoriam” listings are expanded paid obituaries, phrased largely as the family requests, and may include enhanced information or photographs that might not fit within free death notices.

Rick Hodges

A celebration of life for Pat “Rick” Hodges, 71, who passed away Aug. 2, 2026 at St. Luke Hospital and Living Center in Marion, will be scheduled later.

Burial will be at Prairie Lawn Cemetery in Peabody.

Rick was born 5½ weeks premature, weighing 5 pounds 5 ounces at 5:55 a.m. May 15, 1955, to Pat and Barbara Jane (Craig) Hodges.

He attended Peabody Elementary through 3rd grade then Lincoln schools through 8th grade, then Topeka schools, graduating in 1973 from Topeka West High School.

Rick attended the University of Kansas, studying computer science.

He had a very quick wit and wry sense of humor. He loved making people smile and laugh, although he was so quick with a quip people sometimes missed the joke.

Rick worked as a systems programmer, specializing in health care systems.

He began work in March, 1975, at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas in Topeka and ultimately returned to BCBS in 2015, retiring in 2018.

In between, Rick worked at Macy’s Midwest in Kansas City, where he met Vickie, his wife-to-be, in 1979; the University of Kansas Medical Center; Texas Health Resources in Arlington, Texas; and as a consultant for NTT Data in Albany, New York, and Austin, Texas.

Rick loved to play chess and was an enthusiastic supporter of its scholastic benefits. He served as past president of the Kansas Chess Association.

Over the years, he volunteered his time to teach many children, giving simultaneous chess exhibitions for school and university chess clubs. He once played 40 games simultaneously.

He and Vickie traveled to chess tournaments around Kansas, making chess equipment available to players.

Rick was proud of the volunteer work he performed in roles with the Kansas Chess Association, including construction of the Bonner Springs’ Renaissance Faire chess booth in 1995.

He subsequently organized Renaissance Faire volunteers costumed as monks to raise funds for the chess association.

The chess booth continues to thrive, as does the association.

In 2019, Rick was invited to play in an international tournament in Reykjavik, Iceland. While there he donated several chess books that had belonged to Bobby Fischer to the Bobby Fischer Center in Selfoss, Iceland.

Rick also was an expert darts player and won many plaques and trophies for his first-place showings.

Many of his plaques can be seen at Chez Charlie’s in Kansas City, where he often played.

Rick and his wife, Vickie, also enjoyed traveling. They visited wonderful places: Iceland, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. They also visited many places within the United States.

Rick married Vickie Carol Marlatt on Sept. 15, 2016.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Barbara; his grandmother, Dorothy Craig; his grandfather, Theodore “Ted” Craig; and his uncle, David W. Craig, as well as his beloved black labrador, Dino.

Rick is survived by his loving wife, Vickie C. Marlatt, and two sisters, Nancy Jane McDonald of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Dorothy Benita Olsen of St. George, Utah; his aunts, Susan Craig of Lawrence and Virginia “Ginny” Craig of Leawood; and his cousins, Alice Craig of Leawood and Ted Craig of Leawood, as well as his second cousins, Sam and Ben White.

He also leaves behind his best friend, Jonathan Paretsky (and wife Rachel) of Lawrence and his two crazy cats, Callie and Robbie.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Peabody Community Foundation (admin@peabodycommunityfoundation.org) or Caring Hands Humane Society in Newton (www.caringhandshs.org).