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Jeff Rhode

Posted 2022-09-17 by mhenderson
Published by Arizona Daily Sun on Sep. 17, 2022.
Flagstaff, Arizona -

Jeff Rhode, a long-time resident of Flagstaff, Arizona, passed away
after a battle with cancer on August 23, 2022. He spent his final days
in the community he loved and called home for nearly a half-century
surrounded by family, friends, and loved ones.

Jeff is survived by Karen, is wife of 31 years, his 3 children Chris,
Alex (Bri), and Thomas, siblings Scott (Dee Dee) and Marcia (King). He
is preceded in death by his parents Clyde and Mary Rhode.

Jeff was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Flagstaff
to pursue a bachelor's degree in Administration, Management, and
Marketing at Northern Arizona University (NAU). He later continued his
education, receiving a master's degree in Business Administration and
Education. Jeff worked in the restaurant industry throughout Northern
Arizona for many years. He spent 18 years as an EMT and Ski Patroller at
the Arizona Snowbowl. He finished his career in the field of higher
education, where he found a productive outlet for his love of talking as
a teacher of Computer Information Systems at Coconino Community College
and NAU.

Jeff married the love of his life on May 18, 1991, in the San Francisco
de Asis Cathedral in downtown Flagstaff. In December of 1993, August of
1996, and September of 1999, he welcomed the birth of his sons whose
growth, happiness, and prosperity were the joy of his life until the
end.

Jeff was an avid late-night PB&J connoisseur and an excellent telemark
skier. He spent countless hours of his life descending the snow-covered
slopes of the Western United States and somehow spent even more time
thinking about skiing, telling stories about past powder days, and
planning how to get back to the slopes. As his children grew up, he
discovered that he could exercise his passions for sports and teaching
at the same time by coaching youth skiing and baseball. He was known for
the great lengths he would go to make sure everyone had a chance to be
included. He was proud to put character-building, teaching life-skills,
and fun above winning, and his coaching career influenced the lives of
hundreds.

His loved ones would like to encourage anyone who can to donate blood,
as there were many, many positive and memorable moments near the end of
his life that were enabled by numerous individuals who selflessly made
this donation to him. The family would also like to give heart-felt
thanks to all the nurses and doctors who helped him in his journey, and
also all of the other health professionals that are helping others.

A memorial service will be held in his honor at the Elks Lodge on
Sunday, October 2, 2022, from 12:00-3:00 pm. Jeff wanted everyone to
dress casually or at least wear whatever they are comfortable with.







Note: These obituaries are transcribed as published and are submitted by volunteers who have no connection to the families. They do not write the obituaries and have no further information other than what is posted within the obituaries. We do not do personal research. For this you would have to find a volunteer who does this or hire a professional researcher.

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