THORNDIKE — The last time Lorraine Sullivan saw Steven Hodgdon, he was dressed nicely and told her that he was going to Lewiston to pick up his son, Colby.

“He was standing right there and he was looking nice,” Sullivan said Saturday of Hodgdon, pointing to a spot on the kitchen floor of her home between the refrigerator and a worn recliner. “He was neatly dressed.”

Hodgdon was an employee at Sullivan’s Waste, a trash disposal and recycling business in Thorndike, which is owned by Lorraine Sullivan’s two sons, Butch Sullivan and Ralph Sullivan. Like the rest of her family, Hodgdon called Sullivan “Gram” and often would visit her in between jobs at the trash and recycling company. The family also had a nickname for him — “Hollywood” — because he was always wearing sunglasses.

“He was very happy and smiling the night he told me that,” Lorraine Sullivan said. “‘I’m happy to get him back,’ he said. He used to speak about his kids a lot. He was always speaking about them.”

Hodgdon, 49, had just gained custody of his 16-year-old son and had brought him to live with him on Rutland Road in nearby Troy, she said.

About a month later, on March 7, he was found dead. Colby Hodgdon has been charged with the murder of his father, who authorities say died of a stab wound.

The Sullivans and others in the area said Saturday that they knew little about Colby Hodgdon, who had lived with his mother in Lewiston before recently moving to Troy to live with his father. Colby’s mother attended her son’s initial appearance Friday at Waldo County District Court in Belfast, and she was identified only as Ms. Roy.

The Sullivans remember Steven Hodgdon as a polite, courteous person, despite having recently been in and out of jail numerous times. He was a hard worker and dependable, they said.

“He was helpful. He would do anything for anyone,” said Maria Steiner, a friend of the Hodgdon family who lives in Troy.

Her son, Matt Steiner, is a former corrections officer at the Waldo County Jail and remembers Steven Hodgdon as a well-behaved inmate who caused little trouble and was easy to communicate with while in custody years ago.

Both Steiners said Steven Hodgdon had a drinking problem, but they weren’t sure how it started. His family, including his parents, also live on Rutland Road, and the Steiners said they tried to help him overcome his addiction.

“Had it not been for the alcohol, I think he would have made an unbelievable contribution to the world,” Maria Steiner said. “It’s sad how alcohol can take people over. His parents are wonderful people. I know they tried so hard and in so many ways to help him.”

Steven Hodgdon has three other children, and the Steiners said they think Colby is the youngest. Steven Hodgdon lived alone until his son moved in with him about two months ago, they said. Matt Steiner’s daughter dates one of Colby’s older brothers, but he said he knew little about Colby other than that his brother was worried about him moving in with their father.

“From what I understand, he was a troubled kid,” Maria Steiner said. “His father took him in and that was the end result. Was there drinking involved? An argument? No one really knows and no one is ever really going to know what happened.”

In October, Steven Hodgdon pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated assault for hitting one of his brothers on the head with a pipe. Police reports indicate that alcohol was involved in an argument that led to the assault.

But the crime wasn’t typical of the types of things Matt Steiner said he recalls Steven Hodgdon being in jail for when Steiner worked as a corrections officer years ago. Those old charges were mostly minor offenses, things such as operating a vehicle after a license suspension or violating probation, he said.

“It was just stupid stuff,” he said, “but once that cycle starts, it’s hard to break.”

“He was one of the best inmates to deal with,” Matt Steiner added. “Even when he came in intoxicated, he would calm down. He was just very respectful and a good guy.”

The Sullivans first met Steven Hodgdon when he was part of a work release program at the jail and was assigned to painting Dumpsters and trucks at their business. They said they had no recollection of him ever drinking and said he was nothing but pleasant at work.

When he was out of jail, Hodgdon continued to work for the Sullivans, re-painting trucks and Dumpsters and picking up trash. He didn’t have a license, so his father usually would drive him to work, they said, although one of his goals this year was to get a license.

“We liked him. We like the Hodgdon family,” Lorraine Sullivan said. “This never should have happened.”

Ralph Sullivan said that shortly after Colby Hodgdon went to live with his father, he was driving by their house and stopped when he saw Steven Hodgdon outside, shoveling snow.

“I saw this guy standing in the door and I said, ‘Who’s that?'” he said of Colby Hodgdon. “Steve said, ‘You know who that is.’ I said, ‘Geez, I don’t know who that is,’ because I hadn’t seen him since he was 4 or 5 years old, because he moved down to Lewiston. Steve had him come out and we talked.

“He (Colby) was nice; we had a good conversation, nice looking kid and everything, but I don’t know. Things went sour somewhere.”

Steven Hodgdon, who worked on and off for Sullivan’s for about six years, was scheduled to return to work on Monday, March 9, after having been out of work for hernia surgery.

He was found stabbed to death at his home two days before that.

Although his job was a simple one — painting and picking up trash — the Sullivans said Steven Hodgdon will be a hard person to replace.

“He took the old and made it look like new,” Ralph Sullivan said, “and he was proud of it.”

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

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