Colene Rhodes

05/24/1930 — 12/27/2022

From Richland, WA | Born in Madison, KS

Colene Rhodes

Colene Lavonne Rhodes, 92, passed away peacefully on December 27, 2022, at Bonaventure Senior Living in Richland, Washington.

Colene was born on May 24, 1930, in Madison, Kansas, to John Wolfe and Gladys Dickenson, along with brothers Jack Wolfe and George (Babe) Wolfe, and sisters Minnie (Maxine) Martin and Loma Jean Panek.

Colene left school early to support her family and then to raise her own. Colene married Richard (Dick) Alva Rhodes, also from Madison, Kansas, on February 4, 1946. After losing everything to a flood, Colene & Dick moved to Richland, WA, where they had family and promise of work at Hanford. The couple had 3 children, Richard Lee, Norman and Brian Rhodes. Colene worked as a cook for the Richland School District and made her famous chili and cinnamon rolls for thousands of kids at Marcus Whitman Elementary and Richland High School.

Colene was best known for her cooking, her love of fishing and the outdoors, and her art. She was a talented knitter, crafter, and painter until macular degeneration rendered her legally blind. She and Dick built a cabin in the mountains above Cle Elum, WA, where they entertained generations of family and friends, and enjoyed snow-mobiling, bird watching, horseshoes, mushroom hunting, and more, including getting trapped for a week after the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Some of her favorite trips included visits to Mazatlan, Hawaii, and Arizona.

Colene is survived by her three sons: Richard (& Carlene), Norman, and Brian (& Conni); her seven grandchildren: Eric Rhodes, Dana Allen, Kim Johnson, Darla Rhodes, Amanda LaVonne Rhodes, Marissa Rhodes, and Sara Bottoni, her 18 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-granddaughter. She is also survived by her good friend of over 60 years, Phyllis Rice.

Colene is preceded in death by her parents, husband, and siblings.

The service for Colene Rhodes will be held on Saturday January 14th at noon, with a reception following at West Richland Golf Course.

Guestbook for

Colene Rhodes

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

PUBLIC ENTRY

Your guestbook entry will be visible to the public.

  • We send our condolences to the family.She will be missed by so many people she touched in her life. We will always remember all the good times we had with her and Dick going camping and all the good times at their cabin. She was such a special person I will miss all the phone calls to her to find out what was going on with each others familys. She really loved her kids, grandkids and great Grandkids..We will love and miss her.

    Mary % Jim Baldwin
    January 4, 2023
    Douglass, Kansas
  • Call Now Button