Fred Rhodes Jr

frederick W. Rhodes, Jr. age 90, died Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at Croasdaile Pavilion. Fred was born August 3, 1926 in Durham and was the son of the late Elder Frederick W. Rhodes and Lila Mae Thomas Rhodes. He graduated from Durham High School in 1945. While at Durham High, he was a member of the Cooperative Class and was a member of the State Champion track team as a mile runner. After high school, Fred attended the Croft Secretarial and Business School. In 1947, he attended the Indiana College of Mortuary Science and graduated in 1948 Cum Laude. In 1950, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict and was stationed at Camp Gordon, GA where he was a member of the military police. Following his discharge from the Army, Mr. Rhodes became associated with Hall-Wynne Funeral Service as an embalmer. In 1967, he became General Manager and in 1968 was named president. He served as president until 1992 when he semi-retired. He was a member of National Selected Morticians, National Funeral Directors Association, North Carolina Funeral Directors Association and the North Carolina State Board of Mortuary Science, where he served as president in 1971. Fred loved funeral service and will be remembered for the compassion and gentle care he gave to families he had the privilege to serve. Mr. Rhodes was a member of Angier Avenue Baptist Church for 45 years where he served as Chairman of the Board of Deacons, Chairman of the Trustees. He served as church treasurer for 26 years. He is presently a member of First Baptist Church. He is a member of the Durham Sports Club, former member and past president of the Durham Civitan Club and served on the Durham City School Board in 1970. Fred was married to his first wife, Sarah Anne Henderson for 40 years. She died Christmas day in 1991. In 1993, Fred married Linda Smith Chandler, who died in 2000. Surviving are his son, Brian Rhodes and wife, Gale, of Durham; grandson, William Andrew Rhodes and wife, Leslie, of Wilmington, NC and granddaughter, Elizabeth Caroline Rhodes also of Durham. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, February 19, 2017 from the Chapel of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service with Reverend Andy Winn presiding. Burial will follow in Maplewood Cemetery. Friends may visit one hour prior to the service from 1:00-2:00 pm in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Anne and Fred Rhodes Scholarship Fund, Watts School of Nursing, 2828 Croasdaile Drive, Durham, NC 27705; Homebound Ministries, First Baptist Church, 414 Cleveland St., Durham, NC 27701; or The Durham Civitan Club Scholarship, PO Box 61152, Durham, NC 27715.