I remember having Mrs Hodge and Ms Marksberry as my kindergarten teachers. I remember the turtle she had in her class, and the wall of questions we could pick to do for the day so many from each section and once you were done you could go play. I remember one of her daughters bringing a 3 legged dog they adopted to field day. It was almost 20 years ago but I still remember her and what I learned in her class were the building blocks of life. You will be missed Mrs Hodge I hope you get to see Ms Marksberry again.

I met Sally shortly after I began teaching in Akron in 1972 as I became active in the Akron Education Association.

The Union and Board held monthly Professional Problems Committee meetings which were designed to resolve labor problems that existed in two or more buildings before such disputes reached the grievance stage or headed toward litigation. I was a Union member on that committee and Sally was the Union co-chair. It was mentioned in her obituary that she “could go toe to toe with the best of them, arguing her point so much you would rather back down than have her keep going.” There’s no doubt that the “you” in this line included school administrators on the Professional Problems Committee. They listened to what Sally Hodge had to say, respected her opinion, and often acted on it.

Sally’s advocacy on behalf of Akron teachers throughout her career was remarkable. Collective bargaining was not codified in Ohio until 1984. The law gave teachers the right to bargain salaries, fringe benefits and working conditions. That the law was not enacted until ’84 didn’t matter to Sally…she considered it her right and her responsibility to represent teachers in those matters well before doing so was considered “legal.”

When I was elected Union president in 1983, I was privileged to have Sally continue on our leadership team until her retirement in 2011. She served on a number of Union committees in addition to Professional Problems, including the Elections and Social committees. During her last two full time years, she served as Chair of the Curriculum Committee. She also served many years on the AEA Board of Trustees as a district rep and countless years as her school’s Building Representative. She was a beacon of hope and assurance to her fellow teachers during the 1989 teacher strike.

In spite of the demands on her time her Union activities created, Sally was among the most outstanding, dedicated and respected Kindergarten teachers in Akron, first at Bryan Elementary and then for over 35 years at McEbright after Bryan closed.

The young kids who were lucky enough to be assigned to Sally’s class benefited greatly, as did the teachers she represented throughout her wonderful career.

Bill Siegferth

Sally was my grad school teacher & became my stepmother . Was a joy to be around . She always had a warm smile to share. 

We Irwin/Saal’s fondly remember Sally, and we send you, Mary and Felicia, our love.