ALBERT W. HODKINSON DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON DECEMBER 29, 2025. HE WOULD HAVE TURNED 104 YEARS OLD IN JANUARY 2026. HE HAD A LONG LIFE FILLED WITH FAMILY, ADVENTURES, AND STORIES.

ALBERT WAS BORN IN SILVERTOWN, EAST LONDON, ENGLAND ON JANUARY 20, 1922. BEING THE ONLY SON WITH FIVE SISTERS MADE LIFE INTERESTING IN THE LITTLE ROW HOUSE ON GEM STREET, BY THE DOCKS. AFTER PASSING THE ENTRANCE EXAMS HE ATTENDED A CENTRAL SCHOOL THAT COULD TAKE HOURS TO GET TO IF THE BRIDGE WAS UP.

FOLLOWING GRADUATION HE HAD AN APPRENTICESHIP AT WOOLWICH ARSENAL.  WHEN WAR IN EUROPE WAS IMMINENT HE JOINED THE ROYAL AIR fORCE, AT AGE 17, STARTING AS A MECHANIC. HE EVENTUALLY BECAME A CREW MEMBER ON A HALIFAX PLANE MAKING NIGHT RAIDS OVER EUROPE, COMPLETING 37 OPERATIONS. THESE AIRMEN BECAME LIFE-LONG FRIENDS AND WERE FEATURED IN A 2024 DOCUMENTARY GISELA; ECHOES OF A SACRIFICE,NOW ON YOUTUBE.

IN 1947 HE MARRIED ENID CROCOMBE, A MEMBER OF THE WOMENS AIR FORCE, FROM SOUTH WALES, UK. THEY CELEBRATED THEIR 70TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN 2017, TWO MONTHS BEFORE ENID DIED. TOGETHER THEY HAD FIVE CHILDREN-- JACKIE HOPKINS, MARGE (JERRY) MERIMONTE, ALBERT (CAROL), BRIAN (LISA), AND DAVID (JOAN); FORMER DAUGHTER IN LAW ANN BARNES; NINE GRANDCHILDREN--SUSAN MORTZHEIM, JOSH, ALEC HOPKINS; IAN, ARICA, TREVOR, NYGIL, KATE, CHRISTOPHER HODKINSON; AND THREE GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. ALBERT WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS WIFE, ENID, HIS FIVE SISTERS AND THEIR SPOUSES, HIS SON, ALBERT, AND GRANDSONS JOSH AND NYGIL.

IN 1956, ALBERT, ENID AND THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS SAILED FROM LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND TO THE U.S. THEY SETTLED IN ROXBOROUGH, PHILADELPHIA, PA. ALBERT STARTED WORKING AT NICE BALL BEARING COMPANY AND CONTINUED HIS EDUCATION AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY.. HE ALSO STARTED COACHING THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM AS THEY LEARNED HE HAD COMPLETED A COACHING COURSE IN ENGLAND. HE LOVED HIS TEAM EVEN THOUGH THEY DID NOT SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE.

BECAUSE HE HAD THREE YOUNG SONS HE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING CHILDREN;S/YOUTH SOCCER TO THE AREA.
THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, ALBERT LOVED TO WRITE. HE WROTE POEMS, STORIES, RHYMING VERSES, THE COMPANY NEWSPAPER, LETTERS TO EDITORS, A BOOK ABOUT WORLD WAR TWO, AND A BOOK ABOUT RETIREMENT.

FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS THE HOUSE ON LEVERINGTON AVENUE WAS HOME. IN 2024 HE MOVED TO THE HOME OF HIS SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW IN ORELAND, PA AND THEN TO HIS DAUGHTER'S IN CATONSVILLE, MD.

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE KIRK AND NICE FUNERAL HOME, 80 STENTON AVENUE, PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA 19462, ON FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026 AT 12PM. A VISITATION WILL BE HELD FROM 11 AM UNTIL 12 PM.