George William Hodulik was born on Feb. 22, 1926, on Walnut Street to parents Justin and Angela Hodulik of Dunellen, New Jersey. He was raised on Walnut Street with his two sisters, Helen and Josephine, and brother, Henry. George passed away on Sunday, Jan. 12. He is the last of his generation.
George attended St. John’s School in Dunellen and St. Peter’s Vocational School in New Brunswick before enlisting in the U.S. Navy at age 17, serving his country as a boiler tender during World War II from 1944 to 1946 and from 1950 to 1953 during the Korean War.
In the Navy, he attained the rank of Machinist Mate 2nd Class and Water Tender Petty Officer 2nd Class, serving on two destroyers: the USS Wren DD-568 and the USS Fiske DD-842. On the latter, he was a plank holder, having been a crew member when the ship was commissioned.
After returning home following World War II, he completed his high school education at Dunellen High School and is part of the Class of 1946. Although not a degreed engineer, he was the epidemy of a self-taught engineer. After serving in the Korean War, George worked as a machinist for many local machine shops, finally settling at Lockheed Martin for over 35 years. He was a machinist, model maker, and forerunner to modern CNC machinists. George was proud of the many satellites he worked on that were in the sky. He was one of the last employees to be there, shutting down the place in the early 1990s.
George was an active voter and a faithful Catholic who received all his sacraments. He attended mass frequently, honoring Sunday and Holy Days, not to mention weekdays, after which he would gather to catch up with other parishioners, sometimes going for breakfast at the Junction Deli. He was baptized at St John’s and a parishioner there until the opening of Our Lady of Fatima, where his parents and brother are original parishioners. The family is thankful to the at-home Eucharistic Minister Gary and his best friend Mike, who would bring him communion, sit with him, and recite daily Mass readings with a dialog to follow.
George and Dorothy’s children received their sacraments of initiation at Our Lady of Fatima, which was one of the rocks of his foundation throughout life. He frequented St. Mary’s in Middlesex, Christ the King and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Rutland, Our Lady of the Mountains, Killington, St. Mary’s Barnegat/Manahawkin, and St Francis, LBI.
George and his brother Henry, a fellow World War II veteran, were active members of the Dunellen American Legion Post 119 and would later found the Dunellen Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5479, which continues to support local heroes.
George lived in Dunellen for 98 years. He and his wife, Dorothy, raised their four children in the home he built adjacent to his childhood house on Walnut St.; his primary residence was never more than 200 feet from where he was born.
In 1984, George and Dorothy purchased a fix-me-up second home on Ralph Lane in Manahawkin, New Jersey. They spent their golden years fixing that beach house and sharing memories with family, especially the grandchildren.
George could be found in Killington helping his son Michael’s family build their home and sharing in their children’s lives. He was a regular at Shark swim meets, MSJ, Woodstock,
Killington sporting and theater events or just getting parts at Goodro Lumber. When not traveling to visit family and maybe “helping” in construction projects, he could be found at home tinkering.
George joined the Dunellen Fire Department at age 35, was sworn in as Vice President in 1984, and continued to be a life member.
The Dunellen Firehouse reopened on Dec. 6, 2024, after an Oct. 12, 2021 fire. He also rededicated the George W. Hodulik Firehouse, which he humbly accepted as a tribute to many past and present members. The Firehouse community was truly his second home. His last active fire with full SCBA was in 2007; he was 81.
George was grateful and felt blessed for not suffering from any chronic illness. However, beginning in 2011, he suffered from lower back and sciatic nerve issues and, as a result, had deteriorating mobility.
Around 2012 was the last time he played golf, went bowling, threw some horseshoes, or took a bike ride. Since then, there has been a long list of helpers to maintain his physical well-being. Among those the family is grateful for is Hospice with the recent transportation home and valued at-home support. ACCELerate Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation: He got to walk one last time, learn to eat correctly again, and gain an additional 6 weeks of life. Finally, his caretakers, including Lado, Kim, and recently Dennis, as well as his home aid workers Janet and daughter,
His primary care physicians, most notably Dr. Bobella, joked when retiring that George was one of his first patients. George’s last physician visit was to Dr. Shepard, a podiatrist, who said he was honored to treat, in his words, “the legend of Dunellen.”
In closing, the family is eternally grateful to Sheenan Funeral Home for preparing him for his final journey and to all the people who came to visit and be a part of his life. You should know this is what has kept him alive for so long.
George is survived by his four children: David Hodulik (Deborah), Michael Hodulik (Giuliana), Gerard Hodulik (Jacqueline), and Pamela Dozier(Hodulik) (James). He also has 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. His predeceased include his brother Henry Hodulik, sisters Helen Schoenberger and Josephine Klapp, and Parents Justin and Angela.
A funeral mass was held for George on Jan. 17 in Piscataway, New Jersey,. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Dunellen Fire House at 231 South Madison Ave, Dunellen, New Jersey.
