Keith Grimes Hodgin, Jr.

January 25, 1939 – October 30, 2025

Keith Grimes Hodgin, Jr., of Asheboro, passed away on October 30, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of ingenuity, grit, and a personality big enough to fill every room he ever rolled into…sometimes twice. Born on January 25, 1939, in Asheboro, North Carolina, Keith lived a long life marked by adventure, precision, and a very specific (and often loud) way of doing things.

A proud Army veteran, Keith served nine years in the U.S. Army as part of the nuclear program before launching a fifty year long engineering career with Bechtel Corporation. His work took him across the globe. Places like Chile, China, Guam, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, and nearly every corner of the U.S., where he helped start up new power plants and fix complex problems. He was the kind of man who read instruction manuals for fun (saved them for you in case you wanted to read them) and could rebuild just about anything from scratch and explain in full detail how you should do it too.

Keith married the love of his life, Carolyn Auman Hodgin, on October 25, 1959, and together they spent over six decades perfecting the fine art of prickled love, a marriage built on quick wit, eye rolls, and the kind of incessant teasing that only happens when two people are completely, hopelessly devoted to each other. They balanced each other beautifully: she softened his edges, and he made sure she never got too soft.

Keith had a mind for mechanics and a stubborn streak to match. He loved flying and sharing that love with others so much so that he became a flight instructor. He flew airplanes, sailed sailboats, scuba dived, snow skied, and once even rode a camel, just to say he did. At home, he could weld, wire, plumb, and repair anything that broke (and most definitely broke a few things that didn’t need fixing).

Even in his older years, he was never still and always getting into something until a fall in his seventies while building a deck attempted to steal his independence. I say “attempted”, because even paralyzation was no match for Keith’s determination (or rather his refusal to be told what he couldn’t do). After the accident, what he lacked in mobility, he made up for in long to-do lists for his family to complete immediately and stashing of bingo winnings like a squirrel in the engine of an abandoned car. Even from his wheelchair, he was always down for an adventure. Which led to him using adaptive equipment to be able to waterski at eighty years old.

He is preceded in death by his one true love, Carolyn, and his brother, Hal “PeeWee” Hodgin (Terry). He is survived by his sisters, Ann Brady, and Jane Teague (C.E.) and their families. He is also survived by his sons, K. Greg Hodgin (Lois) and Derek Hodgin (Jane); his grandchildren Jennifer Hamilton (Brian), Hali Neely (Rainer), Marley Hart (Zach), Julie Koontz, Sydney Patterson (Matt), and Blaise Hodgin; and his great-grandchildren Ellis Hamilton, Luke Hamilton, Jack Young, Finn Hart, Tate Koontz, Hattie Hart, Florence Hart, and Crosby Hart.

All who knew Keith could tell you, he was unforgettable. If he barked at you or teased you, it probably meant he liked you. If he told you how to do something, it meant he trusted you enough to get it right. He lived his life the way he wanted: fully, fearlessly, and on his own terms. And now, after a lifetime of hard work, travel, and well-earned stubbornness, he’s finally back with MeMe- probably debating on where to plant the azaleas in heaven.

The family will receive friends on Friday, November 7, 2025 from 1:00-1:45 pm at Callicutt Memorial Church.  Funeral services will follow on Friday at 2:00 pm at Callicutt Memorial Church with burial to be held in the church cemetery.