William C. Rhodes

WILLIAM CORNELIUS RHODES, SR., son of the late Cassius and Rebecca Rhodes, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 22, 1902, and went home to Jesus on March 20, 2006 at 1:45 p.m. His father died when he was 3 and his mother when he was 11. As a teenager, William participated in YMCA activities in his home town and became noted for his athletic proficiency. At age 15, he won the prestigious Thomas Taylor Award, an award outstanding for an Indianapolis teenager. As a teenager, William had an outstanding job, assistant to Madame C. J. Walker, in helping to promote her famous hair pomade. His work led him into meetings with Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois. His next occupation took him to New York City, where he became a Junior Boys secretary at the Harlem Branch YMCA at Lenox Avenue and 135th Street. At this occupation he met Marcus Garvey, boxer Joe Johnson and many other Black leaders. He became somewhat of an institution at this venue. He stayed in New York until he received a call to come to the Druid Hill YMCA in Baltimore, as a tumbling and gymnastics instructor. One person he taught and never forgot was the famous Cab Calloway, who learned gymnastics from Mr. Rhodes. We wonder if Cab learned to dance under Mike Rhodes. From a previous marriage there was a daughter born, the late Melba Perkins and her husband Gilbert Perkins. In the early twenties, William played professional basketball (The Athenians) out of the New Albert gym on Pennsylvania Avenue. This arrangement enabled him to play ball at Wilberforce and Howard Universities, as well as around Baltimore for a very meager salary. Among his teammates were the late Powell Sheffey, Rap Wheatley and "Cutie" Brown. In 1936, romance again entered the life of William. He married the former Martha Elizabeth Jordan and in 1938 their son, the late William C. Rhodes, Jr. was born. After this happy event, William worked part time at the YMCA and worked parties, catered affairs and waited tables at some of Baltimore's famous eating establishments, earning what was a good living for a Black man at that time. In addition to waiting tables, he worked as an assistant lab technician at Baltimore Goucher College. A true family man, he always worked hard to maintain a home for his wife, his son and stepdaughter, Gloria Lewis Jordan. His old friends called him "Mike", his family called him "Mr. Rhodes", "Cigar" or "Daddy Rhodes". He always enjoyed watching basketball on TV as well as other athletic events and looked forward to family dinners with his family, which was increased to a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and later another daughter-in-law (Suzette) and step grandchildren (Jordan and Jack). "Mike", "Cigar", "Daddy Rhodes", "Mr. Rhodes", was quite a man and we are thankful that God allowed him to remain on earth for 103 years. William Cornelius "Mike" Rhodes leaves to remember and cherish him: a wife, the former Elizabeth Jordan; a daughter, Gloria J. Carpenter; son-in-law, Raymond T. Carpenter, daughter-in-law, Shirley Rhodes; grandsons, Raymond L. Carpenter, William C. Rhodes, III, Ronald Perkins, Anthony Perkins, Gilbert Perkins, Jr.; granddaughters, Yolanda Brooks and Laura Gonzalez; and a host of other great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.

Tributes

William C. Rhodes

December 22, 1902 - March 20, 2006