John C. Dodd Jr.

John C. "Jack" Dodd, Jr., of Easton, a prominent Eastern Shore businessman, died at The Memorial Hospital at Easton, MD on Thursday, February 14, 2002. He was 79. Born in Carmichael, Queen Anne''s County, Maryland, June 17, 1922, he was the only child of the late John C., Sr. and Ella Mae Reamer Dodd. After graduating from Cordova High School in Cordova, MD in 1939, he attended Beacom Business College in Wilmington, DE before working for E. I. DePont Company in Wilmington, DE. From 1942 until 1945, he served in the United States Army with the 134th Infantry, 35th Division as a Stereoscopic Observer which was an instrument used to determine the altitude of aircraft. He participated in several battles and campaigns including Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Ardennes. He was wounded and became a Prisoner of War during the Battle of the Bulge, remaining in captivity from Dec. 30, 1944 until April 23, 1945. His decorations and citations included the European African Middle Eastern Ribbon with Four Battle Stars, The Purple Heart Medal, The Combat Infantryman''s Badge and a Good Conduct Medal. Following his release from active duty in October of 1945, he returned to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In 1948, with much help from the late J. Howard Anthony, Mr. Dodd became a beer distributor of brands which have long-since disappeared. His one-man operation became a two-man team when the late Pat Patrick came on board and soon doubled again with Squirrel Dyott and Wayne Patchett joining the team. At the time of the sale of the business in 1986, J. C. Dodd Distributing Company employed approximately 25 people and had captured over 50 of the market share in its five county area of Talbot, Queen Anne, Caroline, Dorchester and Kent counties as an exclusinve Anheuser-Busch wholesaler. Over the years, he had received many awards for excellence and service from Anheuser-Busch, Inc. A member of numerous organizations and clubs over the years, he was, at the time of his death, a member of the Easton Elks Lodge #1622, The E.E. Streets Memorial Post #5118, V.F.W., the Loyal Order of Moose, Easton Lodge #1520 and the Talbot Post #70, American Legion. He was a former member of the Talbot Country Club where he enjoyed on of his favorite past-times, playing golf. Other hobbies included hunting and card playing. Mr. Dodd is survived by his wife, Irma Lee Dodd; two daughters, Sandra Dodd of Easton and Jacqueline Payne of Rohnert Park, CA; three sons, John C. Dodd, III and Rickey J. Dodd, both of Easton and Gary J. Dodd of Hockessin, DE; five grandchildren, Heather, Jennifer and Erin Dodd and Elyse and Mason Payne and several cousins. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 20th, at 11 A.M. at St. Mark''s United Methodist Church, Easton, MD. Burial, with military honors, will follow at the Woodlawn Memorial Park, Easton. Friends may call at The Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., Easton, on Tuesday, Feb. 19th, from 7 - 9 PM and one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association, 501 Dutchman''s Lane, Easton, MD 21601 or to the American Diabetes Association, Timanus Lane, Suite 106, Baltimore, MD 21244.