BENJAMIN D. RHODES
(November 7, 1936 – April 22, 2024)
Benjamin “Ben” Dagwell Rhodes, 87, of Grosse Pointe, MI, and longtime resident of Whitewater, WI, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother was born in St. Louis, MO. Having spent most of his childhood there and his teen years in Denver, CO, he was an avid lifelong Cardinals fan as well as expert outdoorsman, skier, and mountaineer.
He climbed all 58 peaks in Colorado above 14,000 feet of elevation, many multiple times. In addition, he climbed Mt Rainier in WA, Mt. Whitney in CA, and the Tetons in Wyoming. He also climbed internationally in Mexico, Peru, Malaysia, The Canadian Rockies, and in Tanzania.
A distinguished scholar, writer, and professor, Mr. Rhodes received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in addition to his Ph.D. all at the University of Colorado Boulder. An author of several highly referenced history books, he was Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, having begun his college teaching career at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI in the mid-1960s. He was also published widely in such journals as Diplomatic History, The Journal of American History, and the Wisconsin Magazine of History.
During his 37-year tenure at UW-W, Rhodes was the recipient of three Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Awards, to teach at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland; Northeast Normal University in Changchun, China; and The National University of Malaysia. In recent years he lectured on cruise ships that took him all over the world.
Classical music was an important part of Ben Rhodes’ life. An audiophile and an accomplished French horn player, he performed as a member of various Denver-based ensembles, including Central City Opera and the City Park Band. He loved attending concerts of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He also loved opera and attended many performances at Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, and Seattle Opera. In particular, he was a fan of Wagner and he attended multiple Ring Cycles at Seattle Opera, in Bayreuth, Germany, and in Adelaide, Australia.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Florence (Arbuthnot) Rhodes of Grosse Pointe, MI; a sister, Susan (Rhodes) Brown of Williamstown, MA; two sons: John Rhodes of Seattle, WA and Philip Rhodes of Grosse Pointe, MI; a daughter, Elizabeth “Betsy” (Rhodes) (spouse Robert) DeMaine of Los Angeles, CA; and his grandchildren, Paul and Annette “Annie” DeMaine, both of Los Angeles.
As Ben wished, there will be no memorial service at this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Colorado Mountain Club or any of the arts organizations mentioned above.
