Christopher Hodgson (F 54-58)
Christopher M C Hodgson (F 54-58) sadly passed away on the 28th June aged 79
Christopher was born in 1941 and it was soon discovered that he had severe Haemophilia A. In the 1950’s, when the treatment for joint bleeds was whole blood or plasma transfusions but mostly bed rest and splints and very little pain relief, it was an unusual and brave decision by his parents and the headmaster for him to attend a public school.
Although having a good eye for a ball, to his regret he was not allowed to play cricket; ping pong and a little tennis had to suffice. Anthony Chenevix-Trench asked him what sport he could enjoy and he replied shooting. He was thereafter permitted to bring his shotgun to school and went out shooting with the headmaster!
He spent a lot of time alone and in considerable pain in the San but, on the plus side he was the only boy in the school who escaped early morning runs and cold showers. His academic achievements were not great given the disruption to his lessons but his time at Bradfield was certainly character forming.
On leaving, he initially worked in North Devon and then joined the family motor business where he stayed until 1993 ending as Chairman and Managing Director of three franchises around Petersfield. He married Jane in 1970 and had two boys, Tom and Duncan, whose sporting prowess at Twyford and Millfield gave him huge pleasure.
From 1993 to 2008 he was a Trustee and then Chairman of The Haemophilia Society at a time when it had a high profile because of the campaigns for compensation for the contaminated blood disaster which gave most haemophiliacs Hepatitis C and a large number HIV. He trained as a counsellor and joined the Bereavement Team at The Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in Farnham.
In spite of his walking problems he held a glider pilot’s licence for over 20 years and qualified as an instructor. When he could no longer get in and out of gliders he concentrated on his love of fly fishing on the Test and could manage a decent 9 holes of golf. As his mobility deteriorated he was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, the combination of which made his last few years very difficult but he bore it all with fortitude, was always up for a party and, whenever asked how he was, always replied “battling on”.