After 42 years, Kathy Hodges of Food and Nutrition Services has retired from a career “well done” at North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo.

A Plantersville native, Hodges attended Shannon High School before working about a year at a local garment factory. She joined the NMMC staff on Oct. 8, 1979, and initially worked as a nursing assistant on 5 East and 4 West. After several years, she expressed interest in Food and Nutrition Services. “I don’t know anything about cooking, but I’m willing to learn,” Hodges told then-director Rosemary Bryan. “She hired me on the team and I’ve been here ever since.”

For many years, Hodges has been coming in at 4 a.m. to cook breakfast for hospital patients and, once that was done, breakfast for Food Court customers. She became the team lead more than a decade ago.

“I like making people happy with the food I serve,” she said. “I believe in showing some love through my food. I’ll miss my coworkers and my customers.”

In addition to sleeping in, retirement will also allow Hodges more time to give back to her community through Salvation Army Auxiliary, Exhale PUL Ms., Order of the Eastern Star and NAACP. She is also active with the senior women’s missionary group at New Zion M.B. Church.

She also looks forward to more time with her family, which includes daughter Tabitha McRunnels (Joseph) of Plantersville, daughter Terriney Hodges of Tupelo and son Foster Hodges (Chasity) of Tupelo; grandchildren Caleb McRunnels, Laken and Morgan Lyons, and Devin and Jordalyn Hodges; and great-grandson Jaxin Hayes Denton.