Elizabeth Hodges didn't talk much about herself.
So only in recent years did the retired teacher's close friends learn that, while studying at Florida State University, she'd belonged to the school's all-student "Flying High Circus."
This southwest Georgia native toured with the popular troupe during her undergraduate years and partook in performances at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus' winter retreat in Sarasota, Fla.
"Isn't that amazing?" said Donna Maley, a Conyers resident who had known Ms. Hodges since 1971. "She was such a Southern lady. To think of her on a trapeze. All those many years, we remained good friends and she never mentioned it."
Friends such as Mrs. Maley learned of her high-flying ways after a former college roommate pulled out a yearbook. Apparently, Ms. Hodges had intentionally kept that part of her life quiet, said Dot Hartsfield, her partner since 1988.
"She wasn't a star, but she hung and swung," Ms. Hartsfield said. "She was a real quiet lady but she liked to entertain. She'd play hymns on the piano or come out dressed like Tina Turner to entertain. You'd never think of her doing something like that. She was so quiet."
In 2005, Elizabeth "Betty" Ann Hodges, 74, was diagnosed with colon cancer. Three years later, cancerous cells returned, this time in her liver. She died July 6 from complications of the disease at her home on Lake Lanier in Flowery Branch.
A memorial will be held at 1 p.m. July 24 at the home of Bonnie and Tom Dougherty, 2412 Bohler Road, Atlanta. Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory in Buford is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Hodges was born in the Decatur County town of Bainbridge, where her family still owns the Cyrene Plantation. An only child, she moved with her parents to Tampa when she was young. She was a 1955 graduate of Plant High School.
At Florida State, she earned a bachelor's degree in education. She went on to get her master's degree in the same subject from the University of Alabama.
After college, the Seminoles fan joined friends in Atlanta and embarked on a teaching career that spanned 32 years. Ms. Hodges taught at DeKalb County's Skyland and Kingsley elementary schools. She had a reputation for patience and firmness.
"Children gravitated toward her," her partner said. "She was very patient and calming, and just had a way with the children, even my own children."
Ms. Hodges and her partner met 45 years ago through mutual friends. They remained friends after Ms. Hartsfield's marriage and subsequent divorce. They lived in Buckhead until they left the city congestion for Lake Lanier in 2005.
There, she was known for gardening, fishing and pet-sitting.
Few neighbors knew about Ms. Hodges' circus days or love for portraying Tina Turner. Her favorite song to sing was "Simply the Best."
"She was a hoot," Mrs. Maley said.
Additional survivors include cousins and nieces.
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