This Member Spotlight article highlights a longtime silversmithing pro, Don Hodge! In fact, Don really is a lucky guy, and he even wears a Lucky brand t-shirt. Born and raised right here in Phoenix, Don just turned 82 last month. He graduated from West Phoenix High School, and Don’s lucky streak continued when he decided to go for a pipe trade apprenticeship. Then he joined the Pipefitters Union, and as a journeyman, he began a fascinating 35-year career working on air conditioning, welding black iron pipe, and soldering copper. Don became a leader in the union, teaching most of the women apprentices to be welders! What a wonderful background for soldering sterling silver into jewelry! All he had to do was use his soldering skills perfected on the big iron to the smaller pieces of silver.
Today Don is one of our more accomplished silversmiths. Don sees himself as a “self-taught silversmith,” because he remembers that, in the beginning, he just wanted to know how to make jewelry. Lucky (again) he met a close friend in the union who was a Navajo “medicine man” and who willingly showed Don the beginning steps for silversmithing.
Today Don serves the Sun Lakes Rock, Gem & Silver Club as a monitor in the Lost Wax Open Shop days in Oakwood.
Retiring away from Phoenix, he moved up to Payson and began a fun-filled 20 years of jeeping and hiking and enjoying the outdoors. That was until one of his luckiest days ever when his girlfriend Becky said, “yes,” and the happy couple married in 1984.
They moved to Payson in 2000 and back down to the Valley in 2021. Both Becky and Don joined the Rock Club, and while Don learns Lost Wax, Becky manages the Sun Lakes Women’s Association’s estate sales and yard sales! Becky says, “Don’s greatest accomplishment was teaching so many women the welding trade, and they still keep in touch with us today!” Teaching his skills to others has been a great joy.
Don likes an old quote by Thomas Jefferson: “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”
We all must have a bit of the Irish luck when we realize how lucky we are to be living in Sun Lakes!