“Today Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson announced that he has been named “Person of the Year by the Prince Henry Society of Massachusetts—New Bedford Chapter. Hodgson was recognized for his outstanding leadership and service to Bristol County for providing resources and promoting public safety.
The award was presented to Hodgson by the Honorable Phillip Raposa at the Century House.
Here are the comments by Judge Raposa on presenting the award:
“Tom has a steady moral compass that always points true north and his personal values, which inform the man that he is, are deeply held. He is also a man of faith, but not one that he wears on his sleeve. Tom is a straight talker and is true to his word. And he subscribes to the creed that much is expected from those to whom much has been given.
BCSO photo.
Tom has experienced good fortune in his professional life and has had the opportunity to rub shoulders with the high and mighty all the way up to the White House. But even as you might see him on television standing in the Rose Garden, he stands there knowing where he came from, and I don’t just mean New Bedford. I mean as the son of an English immigrant father, as a father himself as well as a grandfather, as a husband, and as someone who an untold number of people have come to trust and to rely upon. And knowing all that, he has always kept himself in perspective.
There is another respect in which Tom demonstrates a healthy ability to keep himself in check, being his quick wit and sense of humor. Unlike many sitting judges, Tom can be genuinely funny. And while he is more than able to engage in joking banter with friends, what is most impressive is when he turns the table on himself and engages in self-deprecating humor. In doing so, he demonstrates that while he is self-aware, he is not self-absorbed. Laughing at other people is easy. The real test is being able to laugh at yourself, and Tom passes that test with ease.
Tom is not one to conceal his views, which he does not adjust or modify simply to please others in circumstances where a lesser man might find it convenient to do so. And even if you don’t agree with what he says, you know that he never says anything that he doesn’t truly believe… because while Tom thinks with his head, he speaks from the heart. For my part, I believe there is a certain integrity associated with those who, like Tom, are forthright and honest as to their views, even when their beliefs might not be your own.
Tom came from a family of thirteen children, a fact that taught him the importance of knowing when to compromise but also when to stand his ground. As a result, he is not shy about saying what he thinks, and he is more than willing to take on those who disagree with him. In doing so, however, he is never one to raise his voice, but he is always someone who can be heard. Yet regardless of the vigor with which he advocates his views, he remains a gentleman who will oppose an adversary’s position, but without attacking the person who holds it. And even when he does criticize the views or actions of another, I have never known him to convert a dispute over public policy into a personal matter.
In addition to all these things, which define Tom’s character, he is also committed to the larger community of which he is a part. In that regard, we are all familiar with his efforts on behalf of others in our area, including seniors, our youth and those facing physical and other personal challenges, to name but a few. Considering, however, that he is being recognized this evening by the Prince Henry Society, it is also appropriate to highlight Tom’s close ties to the Portuguese community, ties no doubt strengthened by his own experience as the son of an immigrant. Although his father hailed from an island, it wasn’t one flying the Portuguese flag. And while his dad embarked in neither Ponta Delgada nor Funchal, he started his journey with the same aspirations as our own families: to breathe free and to enjoy opportunities beyond their reach in the land of their birth.
That said, despite the common elements between the paths of his family and ours, Tom long ago had to face up to the sad fact that he is not of Portuguese descent. So, he did the next best thing: he married someone who is, his wife Joanne who is his strong right arm in all things. She is his alter ego, and a thoroughly Portuguese one at that. So, it should come as no surprise to know that Tom and Joanne have a house on the island of Pico, in the Azores. And if loving Portuguese food is any indicator of where his heart is, Tom probably satisfied the requirements for dual citizenship long ago. His ability to dispatch a plate of polvo is truly impressive.
But Tom’s association with the Portuguese community goes beyond whatever plate of food is in front of him. Over time he has consistently demonstrated his support for our ethnic community that reflects a genuine appreciation for who we are and what we mean to this area. As the members of the Prince Henry Society well know, he has always been ready to support events of importance to us, whether it be Day of Portugal celebrations, the Feast of the Holy Ghost in Fall River, or the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament here in New Bedford.
Tom also recognizes that the Portuguese community in this area is closely linked to our ethnic counterparts across the sea, or the Atlantic River, as it has been called by some. He has thus provided support and security for the many Portuguese officials, dignitaries, performers and artisans who have come to join us here in Bristol County. Similarly, he has supported various initiatives between the United States and Portugal such as the UMass Dartmouth nursing exchange program. In that same vein, he has also hosted Portuguese judges, prosecutors and private attorneys who visited Southeastern Massachusetts at the invitation of the Commission for Justice Across the Atlantic.
Equally significant have been his efforts to assist members of the Portuguese community in this area who have been required to return to their native land. Indeed, many such individuals came to this country as young children but never obtained American citizenship. Later in life, they ran afoul of the law, and were subject to deportation. Collaborating with President Carlos Caesar and the regional authorities in the Azores, Tom worked hard to assist Portuguese deportees in the difficult transition that they faced, leaving behind their families in the United States and returning to a country many of them did not know and whose language many of them did not speak. Tom was mindful of the many challenges before them as they struggled to integrate into Azorean society. Indeed, he worked with members of Congress and others in this effort, including Barney Frank. Tom and Barney didn’t agree on much else, and they were something of a political odd couple, but helping the Portuguese community was a value that they shared.
Tom’s efforts on behalf of the Portuguese both here and abroad have not gone unnoticed and he has been recognized by those who know best the work he has done. In addition to his strong working relationship and close friendship with Carlos Caesar, he was made an honorary citizen of the municipalities of both Vila Franca do Campo and Lagoa on the island of São Miguel. Perhaps even more significantly, Tom has also been recognized by the President of Portugal, who awarded him the rank of Comendador in the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator for his service to the Portuguese nation.
As a result of your recognition of Tom here this evening, he has come full circle. Being recognized by the President of Portugal with the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator and now being named Person of the Year by the Prince Henry Society, it can be said that his association with Prince Henry, that great Portuguese visionary, is now complete.
In closing, I want to thank the Prince Henry Society for recognizing Tom Hodgson this evening. In doing so, you acknowledge his demonstrated appreciation for the Portuguese community, but also for being the genuinely good man and the honorable person that he is. I can assure you that while his station in life has changed greatly since I first met him, he is the same man who walked into my office almost 35 years ago and who I quickly came to admire and who I continue to admire to this day. That said, congratulations Tom on this well-deserved honor. Well done, as always.”
“I am so humbled by this honor. Working to keep the people of Bristol County safe has always been just the right thing to do. I am honored to have received this prestigious recognition,” said Hodgson.
Hodgson has been gaining winning momentum with so many impressive endorsements and now this special honor. So far, Hodgson has received the endorsement of the Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Correctional Officers Federated Union, the National Correctional Employee Union 407 Bristol County, Rehoboth Police Supervisor’s Union, Dighton Police Officers Local 306, Taunton Patrolmen Association, New Bedford Police Union, former Democrat Attorney General Frank Bellotti, and Governor Charlie Baker.”
