of Little Rock, AR
September 4, 1957 - August 25, 2014
Robert Wesley Rhodes, 56, of Little Rock, AR, took a step ahead, on Monday, August 25, 2014. Bob was born on September, 4, 1957 in Columbus, Georgia.
He is survived by his wife Patti, his two children Wes and Annalee, his mother Virgina, his sister Carol Boone(Bubba), his in-laws, Bill and Ann Wilson, his nieces Erin Wood(Blaine), Adrianne Patterson, Blair Melton(Brandon) and nephews Will Wilson, Evan Wilson, his sister-in law, Laura Wilson-Prah (Glenn) and brother-in-law, Greg Wilson and his great nephews Brody Melton and Devon Patterson. Bob was preceded in death by his father, Herman Rhodes, his sister Cathy (Lolly) Rhodes and brother-in-law Bill Wilson, Jr.
He was blessed with a large extended family that was very close.
His childhood was filled with sports, fishing, hunting and life's simple pleasures.
Many weekends were spent at the ''backwater'' enjoying skiing, horseshoes, Pinochle, fish fries and the love of family.Bob excelled at sports and it was a Rhodes' family hobby to follow him on the fields. Highly recruited by Alabama, Tennessee, Tulane, LSU, Florida, Troy State, Missouri, Kentucky, Clemson and Ohio State he ultimately chose to become an Auburn Tiger, the school which was closest to home.
After graduating from Auburn Bob moved to Houston and then relocated to Atlanta where he met Patti.They married in 1987. Bob loved his Alabama/Georgia roots but was willing to move with Patti to her home state of Arkansas in 1989.
With their two children, Wes and Annalee, they enjoyed the fullness of life filled with family, friends, church, school activities and sports.
Bob's personal relationship with Christ was evident in his daily life.
He was a kind-spirited, humble, ''put others first'' guy. A man's man with a quick and dry wit that endeared him to others.''Dusty'' bestowed and received many nicknames through the years. ''Big Bob'' prioritized his family and was happiest when grilling, with a game on and his family close by playing cards and visiting.
''Snapper'' loved hunting and spent many a weekend at Speer & Spur Rd. hunt clubs in south Arkansas.Annual turkey hunting trips to Kansas were ''game-planned'', successful and shared with ''Cowboy's'' special friends.
''Bobby-too much'' Rhodes enjoyed and excelled at several sports over the years but most recently focused on golf and racquetball.
As a Shelter Insurance Agent for the past 16 years, Bob built wonderful relationships with his customers and associates.Bob was a member of Fellowship Bible Church where he served as an usher for 21 years.
His spiritual gift was faith and that was so evident after his June 26 diagnosis.
Our spirits were strengthened and numerous lives touched and changed by his unwavering desire to embrace his future.
He said ''please be happy for me'' and amidst the grief of life without Bob, the peace that passes understanding has rested upon us.
His faith, work ethic, preparedness, commitment to doing things the right way and treating others well will be his legacy.
His frequent lesson to Wes and Annalee was to ''think a step ahead''.
Leading us yet again, he took his heavenly step with courage and grace and we are so very proud and look forward to our reunion.
A memorial celebrating Bob's life will be held at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock on Friday, August 29, 2014 at 11:00 am. Arrangements by Roller-Chenal Funeral Home 13801 Chenal Parkway Little Rock, Arkansas (501) 224-8300.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Bob Rhodes to Shepard Center Foundation 2020 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, Georgia 30309.
We are so very sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Love,
The Ducker Family
I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers
Patti: I am so sorry for your loss. I know you will cherish forever the wonderful times the two of you had together. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. I wish I could have stayed to talk to you today after the service. but I do want to tell you it was a beautiful celebration. I know you are proud. My best to you, Anne.
Patti,
Bob's service today was beautiful, and I could feel the love of Christ and that sweet spriit with us. Bob's life and your family is an inspiration and Christian witness to everyone. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Jamie Haraway
Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Patti, Wesley and Annalee at the loss of their husband and father. May he rest in peace.
Patti & Annalee,
Samantha & I have both been praying for you & we're both so sorry to hear about your loss.
You'll continue to be in our thoughts & prayers.
With love,
Merry Kline & Samantha Schmitt
Patti - our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family..
"When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be!" Skip and I are thinking about all of you. It is hard to say goodbye but we have a wonderful promise that we will all be together again.
So sorry and shocked to hear this. We played softball together years ago. As good a player as Bob was, he was an even better person. I'd occasionally stop by the office and swap deer and duck hunting stories in the years after we quit playing.
Prayers for his family
Dear Patti: I just learned of Bob's passing today. I'm devastated for you and your children. What a blessing to have loved him and he you! I will pray for you each day for comfort and strength from Our Lord Jesus Christ. Lean hard on Him. He sent His angels for Bob and he is with Him. This is our hope and assurance.
You are so dear to me and always have been. So many wonderful memories from life in The Fort.
Contact me when you can. 612 418 0881.
Much love to all
Mel
Dear Patti, Wes, Annalee and Virginia,
We are so sorry for your loss. Bob was a wonderful man and always a very caring guy. I can't remember a time that I saw him without a smile on his face. We know you will miss him greatly and look forward to your eventual reunion in heaven. We have been praying for you and the extended family and will continue to pray for peace. We love you.
Mike, Lyndal, Clint and Erica Green
Dear "snapper" as Mike Henley so graciously named you. Even though we have not stayed in touch all these years I know we will see one another at that reunion. All the funny and happy times we shared playing at Auburn will live on forever. I recently lost my 30 year old son in February and my 37 year old in April due to accidents. Tell Jeff and Larry I love them and I will see you one day as well. I will pray for your family because I know they will grieve and miss you always. When Auburn kicks off Saturday I will scream warrrr eagle for you! I love you. In Christ always, Bumblebee
So sorry to hear of your loss. Bob was our insurance agent and we always loved to call and hear him answer the phone. You could hear his smile through the phone. He will be missed. May your family have peace through this time.
Dear Family;
My heart is broken as I think about my cousin’s passing. But as a believer in Christ and knowing the truths of the Scripture for those who love Him my heart is comforted. The last time I was with your family was at Ezell’s Fish House in Phenix City, Al. and I was so impressed with the love and joy that your family showed for each other.
I remember the little boy that was filled with mischief and fun. He grew up to be one great man of God. This is not surprising knowing the Mother he was blessed to have and alongside every great man of God there is a Woman of God.
Rhonda and I are praying for you Patti, Wes, Annalee and Aunt Virgina with Carol and all the family.
What a reunion with Cathy!
Love and prayers with much admiration;
Wayne and Rhonda
Patti and family,
It was with sadness that I learned of your loss. I always enjoyed Bob's smile at church and know you were the impetus behind that wonderful smile. My condolences to you and your family.
Patti, Wes, Annalee and family; So sorry for your loss of your precious husband, father and friend to so many . So grateful to have known him thru you and the family. He was always so friendly, cordial and made you like he knew you forever. May God give you all the strength to bear the days to come. Love and Prayers to all of you . Frances
Patti, Our thoughts and Prayers go out to you and your family. Bob was a special person. Words can not express the sadness we feel of his passing. Only the memories of the time we spent together in Atlanta bring a smile and knowing he is no longer suffering and is now with our Lord in heaven.
He was a buddy, a pal a great friend .and I'm sure will be remembered by many who knew him. I know we will..
God Bless Bob, and may Chris bring peace to you and your family.
Love,
The Barnhardt's
Patti,
I was so sorry to hear of Bob's passing. He was a wonderful guy and I really enjoyed working with him back in the AT&T days.
Your and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Mike & Melissa
Many of us know Bob as humble, thankful and devoted. Truly.
He earned the respect of many people and touched their lives.
He made a difference.
To his loving family, our hearts are heavy too. Heaven could not wait.
Bob was drafted into the kingdom. He will be there to greet you.
War Eagle !
Dear Patti,
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Bob. I am praying for you, Virginia, Wesley and Annalee that God will bring you comfort. I have enjoyed working with you and Bob for many years and it saddens me that I have lost my long time insurance agent . This world has lost a lot of laughter without Bob. Our world's loss is Heaven's gain. All our love from your AT&T family.
Karen
I've had the pleasure of serving with Bob as an usher for the last four years at Fellowship Bible Church. Over those years he has shared great stories with me and fellow ushers. He was a great servant leader and I will miss him as my teammate. I find hope knowing he will be ushering me into heaven at some point.
Patti,
We are so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Gigi and Hannah Bailey
I played on the defensive line in high school with Bob, I had always hoped to see him again one day, I considered him a good friend in high school I knew he would turn out to be a successful man. I will see you on the other side Bob. Rex
Patti, Wes and Annalee, our thoughts and prayers are with you in your great loss. Big Bob had this uncanny ability to make everyone around feel like an old friend he had known for ever. Occasionally we had the opportunity to be around Bob at the softball field, deer camp, hanging around the neighborhood with the neighbors and he always made us smile and laugh with ALL of his tales and stories. Our lives are better for having known and enjoying your treasure. We will miss the gentle giant.
"WAR EAGLE".
Rusty, Kelly and Caroline Graham
To the Rhodes family....my heart goes out to you! Bob was a wonderful and funny Auburn teammate, who never met a stranger. He was a fearless warrior on the field, but a compassionate and endearing friend. You are in my prayers and Bob so glad you accepted Jesus as your Savior! I'll see you again! War Eagle!
Lee Beeler
Bob was such a wonderful guy ! Condolences to his family. There are many people in Columbus, Georgia saddened to hear that Bob has passed away. He had a multitude of friends and was well liked by everyone. Love and Prayers to his Family !!
Sincerely,
Missy Freed Fuller
My prayers for your family. You will be missed Bob. Thank you for all you have done for me and my family.
We remember the beginning of "Patti and Dusty" when you first met and fell in love....well, Patti had to fall off the chair first! It was evident from the beginning that this attraction and love would be for life. Y'all moved off to Little Rock and we only got to visit as we passed through on our way to OKC. Bob was a great man and was loved by so many. His legacy he leaves behind will linger for many, many generations. We grieve with the family but must remember that God is Great. Bob is now with our Lord and will look down waiting for a great reunion in Heaven with those that remain and miss him. Love, Prayers and Peace that surpasses all understanding.... from Atlanta, GA!
Patti, Dan and I are so sorry for your loss, words can never express the right thing when you have suffered such a loss but please know we are thinking of you and in our hearts.
i really enjoyed knowing and playing with bob at auburn. great man, so sorry for your loss
We would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the entire family. Sending prayers up for Patti & the entire family!
Patti,
My deepest sympathies on the loss of Bob. What a great guy he was. I know he was a wonderful husband and I want you to know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
patti and family
We are so sorry to hear about your lose.
Thinking about you
Love you.
Sandy &Larry
Bob was one of the nicest man I ever met and/or worked with.
Missed but never forgotten!
Dear Patti,
Patsy and I want to express our condolences on the loss of your wonderful husband,Bob.
Your Dad, Bill, has spoken of him with such love and respect, that I feel like I knew him well.
Nothing that we can say will deaden your loss, but recalling the many life and family experiences that you have shared with him will lift your spirit ,quiet your sole and restore a smile.
It has been said that life should not be measured in years lived, but in quality experiences-so it is that some live more in a year than others in a decade. In my mind, the way Bob lived his life places him in this category.
May the blessings of God be ever present with you and your children and family.
Roy and Patsy Minish
Patti, Wesley, Annalee and Virginia and rest of family. Deeply saddened at Bob's passing, but he is now free from pain and looking down on everyone and smiling brightly. i sat in his office several weeks ago and had a great visit. Never knew anything was wrong with Bob. Linda tried to get Bob to start playing tennis again with us. He smiled. He will be deeply missed. May God smile down on you and the family and bring comfort. Bob is in heaven now and smiling down on us all. He will be watching the Auburn-Arkansas game this weekend and cheering for Auburn. He will continue to touch the lives of all he knew. All our love to the family.
Our prayers are with your family I served with Bob as a usher until we moved to the new church he was a kind and gentle man he will be missed.
I really have no words of comfort, am at a loss and very heartbroken. I have such wonderful memories of the "backwaters" with all my family. I wish I could have known Bob's true love and his children, I know you are awesome people because God gave you each other to love, and I know that love reaches to the Heaven's.
Bob's final "touchdown" is where we will all meet again and how glorious that day will be!
Prayers to all who loved Bob, let the Lord comfort you.
Love, Joni (cousin)
I had the opportunity of meeting Bob just a little over two years ago. It was a friendship from the beginning. We had many conversation of hunting as well as insurance. He will be greatly missed. I know that he is walking with God and his body is no longer in pain. My prayers and thoughts are with the family during this time. God bless and keep you all!
Patti and family, there are no words to express how sorry Larry and I are for your loss. You, and your family, have been in my thoughts and prayers since we learned about Bob's illness in June. Bob was a truly amazing person, and we so enjoyed the times we got to spend with him. He will be missed. Continued prayers for you during this difficult time.
My family and I would like to express our deepest sympathy over the loss of Mr. Rhodes.
May you find comfort in your loving memories and the warmth of family and friends. I love the beautiful promise at Revelation 21:4 when death and pain will be gone forever after God restores his original purpose for the earth. We will even see our loved ones again who we have lost in death (John 5:28 & 29). It is our hope that these words bring you a measure of comfort during this difficult time. Once again, please accept our condolences as you deal with your loss.
I love you Bob...and am so grateful that Heaven is for real to you now...that you are completely healed...and that you will be there waiting when my time comes. See you in the morning when the Son calls me home.
Linda Scarborough Keown
Patti, Wes, Annalee, Ann, Bill and everyone. I'm so sorry for your loss. You are in my heart always and I am always here if needed. Love to you all
I will be praying for your family during this time of loss.
Dear Patti & Virginia,
Jim & I were devastated to hear about
Bob's illness. Such a shock! Our thoughts
and prayers are with you, Wesley, Annalee,
and all the family.