Gary Wayne Rhoades I
Gary Wayne Rhoades I of Leeton, Missouri passed away Tuesday, June 4 at his home in Leeton. Beacon of Hope Hospice of Missouri had been providing care for him, enabling his family to be with him when his moment came.
Gary was born on January 18, 1945 in Holden, Missouri to Everett and Hallie (Bradshaw) Rhoades.
A happy-go-lucky kid, he spent his childhood riding bikes, playing baseball, and going to ball games in Holden and Kansas City. He was also a wonderful and protective brother for his siblings, John and Joyce, except for that time he borrowed Joyce’s new bike and wrecked it.
In his teens, he worked tirelessly for area farmers baling hay and one of the first cars he bought with his earnings was a 1956 Plymouth Belvedere. He christened it as “The Mayflower” and even painted that name on its back fender.
Gary loved sports as much as life itself, especially baseball and football. In high school and American Legion, his prowess and exploits on the baseball diamond became legendary. Based on the World Series heroics of the New York Giants’ Dusty Rhodes, his teammates began calling him Dusty. And in football, as the star running back for the Holden Eagles, he ran through the defenses of the region’s teams with ferocious determination and then often led his team in tackles of the other team’s ball carriers. In a 20-19 thriller in 1962 against the heavily favored Butler Bears, Gary dueled with Butler’s Parade All-American running back Teddy Sweets, scoring three touchdowns against Sweet’s three touchdowns.
Gary met his future wife Marianne Rader as students in study hall at Holden High School. Marianne was Holden’s Queen of the Eagle Ball and class valedictorian. They fell in love, and Holden High soon had its own golden couple, the star athlete and the brainy beauty.
One fateful night in February of 1964, however, Gary took Marianne home to her family’s farm in Magnolia and on his way back home to Holden suffered a car collision that nearly killed him. He was unconscious for several days, hospitalized for two months, and among his many bone fractures was a compound leg fracture that left him with a limp for the rest of his life.
With his strong willpower (he tried to play catch in a full body cast) and Marianne’s dedicated help, Gary eventually recovered from the injuries. They married on June 18, 1965 in Magnolia and soon had their first son, Gary the II.
Marianne had never used Gary’s diamond name of “Dusty” but wanted to make sure that the two Garys in her home knew which one she was calling for. So they bestowed little Gary with the nickname. Their second son Lee Shannon was born two and half years later and his name derives from the beautiful vistas of Shannon County, Missouri.
Gary worked as an appliance salesman in Kansas City for several years, eventually moving his family to Joplin, Missouri, to work for Montgomery Wards and later to start his own appliance store.
In Joplin, the couple welcomed their third son, Alex Ryan, in 1982. Gary also worked as a construction worker in Kansas City and then he and Marianne started their own business, Triangle Sewing Company, with the specialty of making ring mats for boxing and UFC matches. Gary brought an old-school work ethic to all his jobs and business ventures–no one worked harder, and he always set a pace that was hard to match.
Gary is survived by his wife of 58 years, Marianne Rhoades, and his three sons, Gary Wayne Rhoades II, Lee Shannon Rhoades, and Alex Ryan Rhoades as well as his daughter-in-law, Christina Huber Rhoades. He is also survived by his sister Joyce Shumate.
He was preceded in death by his brother John, who passed away in April of this year, and his parents Everett Rhoades and Hallie Rhoades.
He will be buried at Pisgah Cemetery in Magnolia, Missouri, but no services are planned.
Gary had a lifelong love of animals, especially cats, rescuing and nurturing many in his later years. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution may be made to Old Drum Animal Shelter in Warrensburg.
