Eunice News Sports Editor Tom Dodge left a legacy of kindness
By Harlan Kirgan
Editor
Tom Dodge, Eunice News sports editor, is being remembered as a dedicated reporter of local sports and a man with a love for his family and community.
His daughter, Brandi, said he was found dead at his residence on Sunday. She did not have a cause of death. He was 67 years old.
Tom served as the Eunice News sports editor since October 2007. Before that he had served as sports editor at the Daily World where he worked from 1996 to 2007.
“Tom was a fixture of sports in Eunice,” wrote Mitch Fontenot, St. Edmund High School principal, in an email.
“Not only was he an excellent sports guy, I considered him my friend. Tom’s passing will be felt for years to come. It will not be the same at sporting events without seeing him there!” Fontenot said.
Dwight Jodon, who often helped cover local sports with photography, noted Dodge as having a heart for helping others. “There is just not a classier guy,” he said.
Jodon worked the football game sidelines alongside Dodge.
“The kids just revered him and loved being around him. He knew them all the way from players to cheerleaders and fans and everybody,” Jodon said.
“H was just the real deal and grounded and loved his wife,” Jodon said.
Many people contacted about Dodge mentioned they thought he never recovered from the loss of his wife, Barbara. She died in May 2022. She and Tom had been married nearly 30 years.
As Jodon commented, “His buddy was gone.”
But Dodge continued a very public life as the sports editor.
James Shiver, head coach at Saint Edmund High School said, “He was so good for the community and good for the newspaper and a close friend of mine. I’m really sad to hear about his passage.”
Chad Andrepont, an assistant principal at Eunice High School and former head basketball coach, said, “From the moment I met him he was always very kind to me especially as a new head coach. It was nice to have a very friendly reporter because I was not used to people asking questions and writing about it in the newspaper.”
Andrepont added, “My wife and I would see him at church and he was always the same genuine person working or not working. You were always going to get the same Mr. Tom.”
Andre Vige, Eunice High athletic director and head football coach, said, “He was very pleasant. One of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. I’m going to miss our weekly talks during the season.”
Jim Butler, a past and retired editor of The Eunice News, said of Tom Dodge, “The first thing when I think of Tom, he was a good person, and dedicated to his work.”
Butler added, “He was dedicated to the people when he covered sports on the job. He was dependable, correct, even paced. His temperament was great. Of all the many years I worked with him he was always nice, even-keeled and dependable.”
Butler said, “Your town will surely miss him.”
Harlan Kirgan, editor of The Eunice News., said, “Tom was a true community journalist. He was a reporter, editor, photographer and he put it all together for publication,” he said.
“All the while he was a unflappable and always nice to those he reported on and worked with,” Kirgan said.
Dodge earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Troy (Alabama) University in 1980. He also earned a master of divinity in 1985 from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Services will be held at a later date, said his daughter, Brandi (Travis) Soileau, of Carencro. Survivors include 1 granddaughter, Kaitlyn Soileau, of Carencro; mother, Anne Pate Dodge, of Auburn, Alabama; sister, Suzanne (Roger) Nichols of Hartselle, Alabama; two nephews, Randall (Kelley) Nichols, of Hampton, Virginia, and Adam (Jessica) Nichols of Headland, Alabama; and a niece, Deborah (Cody) Bennett, of Montevallo, Ala.
Tom Dodge in his own words
Eunice News Sports Editor Tom Dodge introduced himself to Eunice readers with a column on Oct. 14, 2007, just weeks after starting the job.
The following is that column.
I have friends who tell me it must be great to be paid to watch games.
For the most part, that is true. But a sportswriter/photographer must endure the heat, the rain, the bugs and even some of the fans along the way.
I am a lifelong sports fan and I am sure it comes naturally as my mom and grandma were fanatics too.
I can still remember the first baseball game my grandpa took me to, my first college football game and plenty of other sporting events along the way.
Having moved to Louisiana from Alabama, my first night game at Tiger Stadium was quite an experience as I quickly learned to keep my mouth shut and not cheer for the other team.
My grandma was a spiritual lady and even prayed during football games for her team to win (Although I am not sure God cares who wins each week, with bigger issues in the world).
My mom is also a good Southern Baptist lady and gets too nervous to watch the games if they are too close.
She will change the channel and when her heart rate goes down, she checks back in on the game.
Football season is also my favorite time of the year, although I have calmed down a little bit over the past few years.
I love high school and college sports more than the professionals - (good thing considering the Saints have hit the skids and the Houston Astros struggled big time this baseball season).
Watching the excitement of the high school athletes earning a playoff spot and a state title is always a thrill.
Joining the Eunice News sports staff as district football action opened was great timing for me.
As I walked the sidelines at Eunice High that first Friday night and watched the Bobcats grab the 27-20 win over Sam Houston, it was exciting to feel a part of the community.
St. Edmund is another vital part of the Eunice sports community and the Blue Jay backers are some of the best around. Spending time on their sidelines is also just as thrilling.
I covered sports in St. Landry Parish for the past 11 years for the Opelousas newspaper and it was always a pleasure to visit Eunice.
Now I will get to know these teams better and on a regular basis as I help Jamie (former staff member Jamie Afenson-Comeau) make the Eunice News sports pages the best local coverage in the region.
Considering the quality of the Bobcat and Blue Jay programs as well as LSUE, it won’t be hard to find plenty of great games to cover and top athletes to write about.
Buckle up, the ride should be fun.