Earl Hodin

Earl Hodin, of Arlington, VA, formerly of Scranton, died on July 14, 2026, at age 88. He was a Pediatric surgeon, Air Force Major (ret.), golfer, pianist, wine aficionado, and friend.

The last of four boys, Earl’s birth came as somewhat of a surprise.  His mother was in her 40s and his closest brother was ten years old – a true caboose baby, who was doted on by his parents, fondly known as ML and Berdie, and his beloved second mother, Mary Marcin.  His family moved from Dunmore to Scranton, PA, settling in their comfortable home on Webster Avenue, where they hosted many sprawling shabbat dinners, Seders, and other celebrations of family and Jewish life.  Early on, Earl learned to tap dance, excelled at school, and showed great promise at the piano.  Always one to break the mold and forge his own path, Earl decided not to enter the family grocery store business.  He went to college at Cornell University, where he met his future wife Louise Klein, and on to New York University for medical school, training to become a pediatric surgeon, which was a vanguard specialty at the time. 

His oldest son, Stephen, was born in Rochester, NY, while Earl was a surgical resident. After residency, Earl commissioned in the Air Force as an officer and surgeon, and his second child, Jason, was born abroad at Tachikawa AFB.  During the Vietnam War, Earl operated on and cared for many wounded soldiers, some of the worst cases flown directly from the battlefield to the hospital in Japan.  He rarely spoke of his experiences in the Air Force, but it fueled a life-long skepticism of war and political power.  Upon returning to the States, the family landed in McLean, Virginia, where he started his own practice and settled into a routine of working long hours at Fairfax Hospital, playing golf, satisfying his myriad interests and hobbies, and attending his children’s many extracurricular activities.     

Earl had a lifelong passion for sports with a special fondness for Michigan football, the New York Giants, and the Baltimore Orioles.  He also had a zest for puzzles and games of all sorts, teaching his children chess so that he could beat them, and looking forward to tackling the New York Times crossword every day, but especially on Sundays.  He cultivated many hobbies throughout his life: collecting stamps and coins, building computers, painting miniature soldiers, playing classical and jazz piano, fly fishing and golfing, attending opera and Shakespeare theatre, but perhaps most prominently collecting, sharing, and enjoying wine.  Earl never simply dabbled in hobbies; he would throw his whole person and intellect into becoming an expert in all that he could learn about that subject.  As a result, in his later years, he enjoyed a remarkable private collection of jazz records and fine wines. 

Earl left behind a tremendous legacy and touched many lives with his generosity and talents.  Perhaps his greatest legacy is the countless infants and children he operated on in his more than 20 years practicing as a pediatric surgeon at Fairfax and Children’s Hospitals.  He never boasted or even dwelled on this record; he felt that the lives lived mattered most. 

Following retirement, Earl spent much of his time at Washington Golf and Country Club, where he claimed a wide circle of friends.  He played golf twice a week or more well into his 80s and enjoyed many animated games of bridge in the men’s grill right up to the end.  After a challenging but rewarding career, Earl spent more time enjoying family, especially his grandchildren, Peninah and Saul, as well as his newfound leisure. Many summers you could find him reading a good book on an Adirondack chair overlooking Lake Champlain in North Hero, Vermont.  And there was sure to be an excellent wine with dinner. 

Earl is survived by his sons, Stephen (Renee Markus) Hodin and Jason (Beatriz Velazquez) Hodin; adoring grandchildren, Peninah & Saul Hodin; cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 1:00 PM at Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home, Inc., 318 East Drinker St., Dunmore; interment will be held in the Dalton Jewish Cemetery.

Donations in Earl's memory can be made to one of his many supported causes, The Nature Conservancy of Virginia (www.nature.org/virginia) or the charity of your choice.