Colchester woman will be remembered for her ability to find humor in stressful situations, her kindness and an ability to make coworkers laugh until they cried Barbara B. Hodgdon, 76, a longtime resident of Colchester, Vt., passed away peacefully on August 25, 2024, after a struggle with dementia. She was born in Burlington, Vt., the oldest daughter of the late William George Bushey and Alice Margaret (Mack) Bushey. She spent her early years in Charlotte, where she attended Charlotte Central School and then high school at South Burlington High School. She graduated from the second class at Champlain Valley Union High School in 1966. Following high school, she attended Johnson State College before transferring to Champlain College and graduating with an associate's degree in accounting in 1969. In 1970, she met her husband, Jeffrey, and after a short, whirlwind romance, they married on April 30, 1971, sharing the anniversary date with her youngest sister’s birthday. Barbara worked for a time at Garden Way Publishing in Charlotte and enjoyed her job a great deal. However, when her husband’s military service required a move to Virginia, she embraced the adventure and happily packed up their new family for the move south. With their little guy, David (“DJ”), packed in safely among their belongings, they drove their little red VW to Fort Belvoir. Once settled in at Fort Belvoir, she became the local travel agent of sorts, inviting family and arranging tours, lodging and transportation for them. She was very impressed by the available history and sites in the Washington, D.C., area, except for the time her car was towed from the FBI building. She did talk the agent into telling her where the car was temporarily held, and it was retrieved without cost. Letters home often included recommendations for restaurants in the area. While at Fort Belvoir, they made a couple of moves, with each place made into a home. The last move was a lovely little townhouse in Dogue Creek Village; while it was her favorite, the U.S. Army decided to send them to Germany. Barbara enjoyed Germany, while doing volunteer work, hosting family members when they visited, and traveling to London with her mother and to Berchtesgaden with her sister, Margaret. Barbara also found the time to work as a Department of the Army civilian in the local finance office. She made friends along the way and remained in touch with some. With Jeffrey’s active-duty tour behind them and their return to Vermont, Barbara found employment with the Lane Press in the accounting department. She…