Deceased January 19, 2020
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In Memory
Hod was destined to attend Amherst early on since his father was in the class of 1929. Hod passed away peacefully from complications of Parkinson’s disease on Jan. 19, three days after his 86th birthday.
As an undergraduate, Hod was a member of Chi Phi, where he served as chapter president. He was also president of the glee club and a mathematics major. Hod was a regular at our class reunions and often would return to the College for homecoming gatherings.
In 1955, Hod began a career in pharmaceutical sales with the Kendal Co., which was later acquired by Colgate-Palmolive. He dedicated his working days to the healthcare industry and retired in 1990 as president of Colgate’s pharmaceutical division. Hod was actively involved with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Services, serving on its board for 11 years, including three as chair.
In 1972, Hod and his parents completed construction of a vacation home in New London, N.H. This provided many years of treasured memories for his family and became his permanent residence beginning in 1990. There, Hod was known for his conviviality and hospitality, not to mention his bartending and barbecuing techniques. His favorite pastimes include fishing, reading, tennis and doing The New York Times crossword puzzles.
In retirement, Hod developed a keen interest in travel. Between April 1994 and May 2015, Hod and wife Lela took 13 trips with Katie and Hugh Moulton ’55. Often it was an annual trip to a destination of interest that none of them had visited before. On several of those trips, the four were joined by Birgitta and Dom Paino ’55 and Jocelyne and François Steeg ’55.
Hod is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lela; three children, including Mary ’81 and Louise ’87; and their families.
Hugh Moulton ’55 and Rob Sowersby ’55