Jack Earnest Rhodes

Jack Earnest Rhodes died Monday evening, August 9, 2021, at KPC Promise Hospital in Mesa, Arizona following a lengthy illness. He was 65 years old. Jack was born on April 17, 1956, in Batesville, Franklin County, Indiana to his parents, the late Donald Dale and Ethel Marie (Mendell) Rhodes.

Jack graduated high school on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu in 1974. Immediately following his graduation, Jack voluntarily enlisted in the United States Army because he liked the idea of being a "G.I. Joe." His dad, however, was "spitten' bullets" because Jack didn't enlist in the Air Force. Following his discharge from the U.S. Army, Jack spent most of his adult life in Houston, Texas working on the oil rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2007, he moved to Arizona where he met a real cutie by the name of Melanie. A year later, the couple were wed on 08/08/2008 in Safford, Arizona. The Honeymooners went camping on Mt. Graham for their honeymoon.  8 years later, their marriage was solemnized in the Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2016. He and Melanie looked forward to the Friday night date nights where they would regularly go to the temple and then have a quiet night out to dinner. It brought them closer than ever. Even when they didn't much feel like going, (perhaps, after a small argument) they thought about it and Jack would grab his temple bag and say, "Let's go!" So, off they'd go for their temple worship and always felt the blessings by going. Jack loved attending and doing his temple work in the Gilbert Temple. One of his favorite church callings was that of being a nursery leader with the little kids. Jack loved those kids and, for as much as he was teaching them, they were teaching him even more. 

After marrying Melanie, Jack proved himself of being a good man. He willingly took on two grandsons to raise as his own after their father died. He was a real cowboy and would only wear his Wranglers and cowboy hats. In her own words, Melanie said," He was my cowboy!" 

Jack Earnest Rhodes is survived by his wife: Melanie Rhodes; daughter, Melissa Rhodes; stepchildren: Laura Kate Bossa, (deceased), Karen Annette (Brent) Martin, Julie Marie (Jeff, deceased) Bullock, Sara Rose (Robert) Lindsey, Matthew Grant Scorch, April LeAnn (Evan) Owens; He also has 20 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren and 2 brothers: David (Laura) Rhodes, Dean (Marissa) Rhodes.

The Funeral service will begin 10:00 A.M., August 14, 2021, at the LDS Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 29419 N. Desert Willows Boulevard in San Tan Valley, Arizona where Bishop Scott Donaldson will officiate. The concluding service and interment will follow later, that afternoon, PROMPTLY at 4:00 P.M., at the Lakeside Cemetery off of Larson Road in Lakeside, Arizona where the Veterans of the White Mountains will perform Military Honors.