Deborah Lee Hodges-Beckham

Deborah Lee (Truitt) Hodges-Beckham passed away on October 2, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love, strength, and beauty that touched everyone who knew her.

Born on March 13, 1948, in El Paso, Texas to Jake and Bette Truitt, Deb was blessed with a childhood that spanned many countries. Each place added to the depth of taste and character that was evident upon meeting her. Of all the places she lived, Spain was especially significant, nurturing her lifelong love of beaches.

Though her youth was spent abroad, Deb returned to East Texas for her last two years of high school in her father’s hometown. There she attended Gladewater High School, was honored as Choir Sweetheart, and formed many lifelong friendships.

Deb began her career as an accountant with Rauscher Pierce Brokerage and Investment Firm in Dallas. She later joined First Dallas Securities before following her entrepreneurial spirit to open The Catfish Shack and Seafood Grill, which she and her husband Gary Hodges proudly owned and operated for over 20 years.

Deb’s vivacious spirit meant she was rarely still for long. Her energy and determination touched every part of her life—whether building success in business, baking her much-loved cakes and desserts, or keeping a home that was both welcoming and immaculate. Music filled her days, especially the “Golden Oldies,” and dancing was her lifelong joy. From Texas two-stepping in her younger years to learning ballroom later in life, Deb brought grace, rhythm, and happiness to every endeavor.

Deb loved art and design. She had a gift for creating beautiful spaces, merging elegance and taste with warmth and welcome. She made substantial changes to every house she lived in to make each one more functional, more comfortable, and more beautiful. This was Deb in a nutshell, that her gift to the world was to make it enduringly more beautiful.

For over 20 years, she worshiped faithfully at First Baptist Church and found fellowship in the “Middle” Sunday School class. Her Sundays were a source of joy, and her faith was the cornerstone of her life.

She is preceded in death by father Jake Truitt, mother Bette Truitt, brother Donald Truitt, husband Gary Hodges, and stepdaughter Leah.

Deb is survived by her loving family: husband James Beckham; daughters Eren and Kerry, and their husbands Mark and Greg; grandchildren Hunter, Amy, and Katie; great-grandson Ryan; by her sister Elizabeth Monaghan; nephews John, Trent, and Chris, and by her stepdaughters Deidre, Jamie, and Sarah, and their husbands Rob, Chris and Brent, as well as members of the Hodges family.

She will be missed by her extensive family and countless friends, and by anyone who ever tried her coconut sour cream cake or strawberry cobbler.

in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, by clicking the link below or by mail to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105