Lorene Dry Rhoades' Obituary
Lorene Dry Rhoades passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at Presbyterian Hospital due to complications from a stroke; her daughter was at her side. Lorene was born on July 23, 1917 in Logansport LA, where she spent her childhood. When she was a teenager her family moved to Carthage in East Texas. She attended Northwestern State College at Natchitoches, LA, and SMU. She spent her early adult years in Kuwait, New York City, and in New Orleans where she worked for Delta Airlines. She relocated to Dallas and was working at Mobil Oil when she met and married Walter Floyd Rhoades in 1958. Soon they moved to Wilmette IL where she lived until the late 1970’s. She was an active member of the Wilmette Baptist Church, now the Wilmette Community Church. She and Walter moved to Rockwall Texas after his retirement. During their 40 years together Lorene and Walter enjoyed traveling to Europe, Asia, and to all but one of the US states. In the late 80’s, they designed and built their dream home in Northern California where they lived for several months each year. She enjoyed listening to Walter play in his Dixieland band and was herself accomplished on the piano and organ. Since the late 1990’s she has been living in Presbyterian Village North where she volunteered and made many friends. Lorene regularly attended Highland Park Presbyterian Church. She was a wonderful role model to all who knew her, and she lived her life with independence, grace and dignity. Lorene was pre deceased by her loving husband Walter Rhoades and is survived by her daughter Suzanne Rhoades; daughter and son-in-law Barbara and Thomas O’Shaughnessy; grandniece Pamela Thomson; grandson and wife Patrick Rhoades O’Shaughnessy and Heather Hartley; granddaughter and husband Margaret O’Shaughnessy and Erik Cameron; and great grandchildren Elliot Walter O’Shaughnessy and George G. O’Shaughnessy who in recent years were her greatest joy. Memorials may be made to the National Alzheimer’s Association P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011.
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