Margaret Fliegel Hodges

Margaret “Poosie” Fliegel Hodges, 92, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, with family, her pastor, and her fabulous hospice nurses and caregivers by her side.

Margaret was born on March 10, 1933, in Watertown, Wisconsin, the youngest of six children born to Carl Johannes Fliegel and Ruth Aastrup Fliegel. Her father was a Moravian minister who served rural congregations in Wisconsin and North Dakota. She shared many stories of her childhood in rural North Dakota during the Great Depression and World War II. Her father was often paid in abundant fruits and vegetables, which the family spent many long hours cooking and canning.

After completing high school in Wisconsin, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Margaret then completed an internship and training program in physical therapy at Vanderbilt University and subsequently joined Toledo Hospital as its very first licensed physical therapist. She worked for 40 fulfilling years helping patients, retiring as Director of the Physical Therapy Department at Lake Park Hospital. Committed to lifelong learning, she spent the next 20 years traveling the world with her husband Jim, learning about local history and culture.

Margaret loved singing and performed as a contralto with the Toledo Symphony Chorale for many years. She also enjoyed the Toledo Symphony, holding season tickets in the same seats at the Peristyle for more than 50 years. She was active in a variety of organizations, including P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), and was a strong advocate for young people pursuing higher education and striving for ambitious goals. She also served as a member of the church council at Hope Lutheran Church.

Margaret was intensely social and enjoyed interacting with her friends and the staff at The Woodlands, where she lived for the last five years. A frequent Scrabble champion, she also enjoyed many games of bridge and Rummikub with old and new friends. Known for passionately voicing her opinions, she equally enjoyed hearing the perspectives of others during the weekly Woodlands current events discussion group. She loved solving crossword puzzles and encouraged many family members to join her. With her sharp wit and sense of humor, she delighted in telling and hearing stories about life’s interesting moments.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, James T. Hodges, and by her oldest son, Peter Fuhlbrigge, who passed away in the fall of 2022. She is survived by her son Robert Fuhlbrigge (wife Anne), daughter Elizabeth (Lisa) Zofchak (husband Joe), son Thomas Fuhlbrigge (wife Kelly), and Peter’s wife, Diane Fuhlbrigge. She also deeply loved and delighted in following the lives of her nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Services will be held on Friday, February 6, at Hope Lutheran Church, 2201 Secor Road, Toledo, Ohio. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m., with a luncheon at the church afterward.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be directed to Otterbein Ashanti Hospice or the Toledo Museum of Art.