Christopher “Chris” Meade Rhoads Sr., 76, passed away on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 in his beloved home overlooking the Rappahannock River in Deltaville.
He is survived by his brother, Webster Rhoads III; his six children, Meade (Janie), Thom (Rosa), Edmund (Crystal), Parke (Ruth), Lucie and Betsy; and seven grandchildren, Dyer, Charlotte, Burr, Harrison, Christopher III, Elizabeth and Allen.
The family is incredibly grateful to family friend, Ann Ward, who led the coordination of Chris’s care over the past several years.
Born on Dec. 23, 1944, Chris spent the majority of his childhood years at his family’s estate in Gloucester. He graduated from the Christchurch School near Saluda in 1963 and attended Hampden Sydney College. After his time at Julius Garfinkel Company in Washington, D.C., he spent 15 years working as a buyer at his family’s department store, Miller & Rhoads, and then moved on to a career as a stockbroker at Scott & Stringfellow. For many years, Chris traveled with his annual bird hunting group to countries spanning from Botswana to Argentina.
Chris retired to Deltaville in 2006 and was an avid volunteer for the Middlesex County Rescue Squad as an ambulance driver. He never missed the opportunity to take his boat out on the water, and he cherished the peace and quiet of his waterfront home with his steadfast companion dog, Nala, and cat, Baxter.
A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 24, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Ave. in Richmond. Masks will be required. A private interment for the family will precede the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Richmond at https://support.chfrichmond.
