George William Hodulik

"George William Hodulik” was born on February 22, 1926, 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. 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 United States Navy at age 17. He served 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, the
latter of which he is 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. George worked as a
CNC machinist and model maker Lockheed Martin for over 35 years until the facility
closed. He was proud of the many satellites he worked on in the sky. George was a faithful
Catholic and received all his sacraments. He always attended mass on 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 for the at-home communion
carriers of the sacred body of Christ, particularly Gary Kostek Eucharistic Minister.
He frequented St Mary in Middlesex, Christ the King, and Immaculate Heart of Mary in
Rutland VT. Our Lady of the Mountains, Killington. St. Mary’s Barnegat/Manahawkin,
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 go on to find the Dunellen
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5479, which continues to support our local
heroes.
George lived in Dunellen for 98 years. He and his wife, Dorothy Knysz Hodulik, raised
four children in the home he built adjacent to his childhood house on Walnut Street. 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 at Manahawkin, NJ.
Dorothy and George spent their time fixing up that beach house and sharing memories
with their families, especially their grandchildren. He loved swimming in the lagoon there,
most recently in 2020 at 94.
George visited Killington, VT helping Michael’s family build their home and share in their
children’s lives. 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 re-opened on Dec 6, 2024 after an Oct 12, 2021 fire and 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.
He has faithfully served his God, his country, and community for many years. George is
survived by his four children, David Hodulik (Deborah), Michael Hodulik (Giuliana), Gerard Hodulik (Jacqueline), and Pamela Dozier (Hodulik) (James) . He also
has eleven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers we asked that
you make a donation to Dunellen Fire House. Dunellen Firehouse's address is 231 South
Madison Ave, Dunellen, NJ 08812, or scan the attached QR code.

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 17 at Sheenan Funeral Home, 233 Dunellen Avenue, Dunellen, from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Family and friends will gather at Sheenan Funeral Home on Saturday at 10:AM. A funeral Mass will follow at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church, 501 New Market Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854.

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