Daniel Rhode

Daniel Edward “Dusty” Rhode was born January 18, 1948 in Fallbrook, California to parents Jackson Edward and Mariona Roberson Rhode. He grew up on various Air Force bases in Guam, California, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, and Germany. While overseas, he traveled on the weekends with his family to many places in Europe, including the Alps and Paris.  In 1959, he played catcher for the American Forces Western Europe Little League baseball team in the Little League World Series, and later Pony League, in Northglenn, on a team sponsored by Duckwall’s Department Store.

Once his father retired from the Air Force, they relocated to Pine Junction, Colorado. His parents started their restaurant, the “Red Rooster,” in a re-cycled old street-car.  While he was quite talented at both football and baseball, his parents forced him to quit playing sports after his sophomore year in high school, in order to work in the restaurant. He said his mother always wanted him to encourage people to buy onion rings because they had a greater profit margin, but he always refused because he had a lifelong distaste for onions.

He enlisted in the Navy Reserve during his junior year at Evergreen High School.   After graduating in 1966, he became active duty Navy and trained as a sonar technician.  His first tour of duty was on the USS Sacramento.  While on board the “Sac,” he was treated to as many Coca-Colas as he could drink, and he swore that’s what made him a life-long customer. He had funny stories about everyone throwing away their government issued leather boots straight into the ocean and buying better boots as soon as they could.  He joked about how many pairs of those boots must be at the bottom of the seas.

Not content to just work onboard, when there was a call for volunteers, he volunteered and was assigned to a helicopter, probably one associated with Helsuppon 1 (Helicopter Combat Support Squadron), delivering supplies and ammunition, and airlifting wounded.  He had a few scary stories to tell, though he told them sparingly and on rare occasions. He was wounded during one battle when heavy artillery shot up through the helicopter and wounded him in his thigh. During the frenzy of the moment, he didn’t even notice he was wounded until he looked down and saw his own puddle of blood. He was awarded a Purple Heart.  He was never impressed with, and wouldn’t elaborate on, any of his other 8 medals, including the Navy Cross.

In 1967, before leaving for a second tour of duty in Viet Nam aboard the USS Samuel Gompers, he flew home and proposed to his girlfriend, Mary Ann.  He and Mary Ann were married on February 1, 1969 in Evergreen, Colorado.  They lived in Denver while he attended school to study philosophy at Metropolitan State College, and Mary Ann finished her nursing degree.  He bartended to pay their bills while they lived in some very modest apartments. He witnessed the moon landing working as a bartender at the famous Duffy’s Tavern in downtown Denver.

A few years later, they packed up their few belongings, left their dog, Muffy, with Mary Ann’s parents, and drove to New York with little money and only an unseen, unfurnished apartment lined up. Mary Ann attended Columbia University and Dusty found a job constructing sets for an interior decoration magazine, eventually re-joining the Navy Reserve to make some extra money. After scraping by for a year with no TV, no phone, and no money, they moved on to their next adventures in Salt Lake City.

Dusty started his career as a machinist in Salt Lake City. They welcomed son Matthew there.  They would take Matt in his carrier to University of Utah football games with Mary Ann’s faculty pass.  Another time, he almost lost Matt when a slightly older Matt slipped out from under the bar on a ferris wheel ride.  Dusty grabbed Matt by his overall straps, and then shook all the way home. When General Dynamics was in town, desperately seeking machinists for aerospace work in San Diego, they quickly hired Dusty, an expert machinist by that time.  Working in San Diego, he did precision machining on the cruise missiles being built then.  When he solved the problem of how to machine a critical part, a problem all the engineers had been unable to solve, General Dynamics promoted him to engineer. Later, the company flew him several times a month to study at the California Institute of Technology to get his Master’s degree in mechanical engineering. His daughter, Caroline was born in San Diego. He called her his “bluebird” because she alone shared his blue eye color. Wanting to return to Denver, he applied and was hired as a Senior Engineer at Martin Marietta, working on many projects and also securing several patents on his work.  He spent the majority of his life in Colorado, where his youngest, Sharon, was born.  When she was in 4th grade and declared her intent to someday be a part of the Notre Dame Marching Band, he was all in.  He finished his working life as a meticulous construction business estimator and could describe in detail many steel projects around Denver and name the specific design of every Walgreens he drove by.

While Dusty was immensely proud of his engineering career, and devastated when he was laid off from Martin Marietta, he had many and varied hobbies throughout his life. He was an avid guitarist. He had many bands throughout the years, and he enjoyed playing gigs at the Sedalia Grill and jamming in the basement. He loved playing Foreigner covers, but in his later life, he enjoyed playing jazz along with the radio.

He enjoyed fly fishing and fly-tying, shooting, reading (mostly non-fiction), Rush Limbaugh, C-SPAN, and long political discussions. His greatest hobby, though, was following the Irish. He had wanted to attend Notre Dame, but knew he could not afford college, so he joined the Navy.  He lived for each season, and always kicked it off with a “Rudy” viewing. He never missed a game, and in fact, he taped every single one so he could watch it multiple times. Watching his daughter perform in the marching band was one of the greatest highlights of his life.  He read all the issues of Blue and Gold, and looked forward to the Notre Dame Alumni game watches each year. He lamented the “dark times” of the year, when there was no football to be had, and couldn’t wait each year for the leaves to fall, for the drums to beat, and football season to begin. The cherry on top of his Notre Dame fandom was getting to meet Notre Dame coaching legend Lou Holtz at a charity dinner on one occasion and spending the evening with Joe Theisman at another.

He loved traveling to South Bend, and always fantasized about flying there in a private jet and staying at the Morris Inn, but in all reality, he was happy to watch the band lead the fans into the tunnel, sit in the cheap seats, and heckle any USC fans he could. He loved getting a game day brat, and he swore coffee tasted better in a Notre Dame mug. Each year he hoped to time his trip right to see the turning of the leaves in South Bend, and a few times he did just that.

Dusty was a man who loved his family, a good scotch, cigarettes, loud music, reading and sitting on his couch. He often said he had traveled the world, and that was enough. Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday because it was mostly about family.  He was happy to be in his home, with Mary Ann and his dog. He always got sentimental at Christmas, sitting with his long-time friend, Dave, reminiscing about the early years of their lives.  Although rarely seen by them, he was always bursting with pride over the achievements of his three children, wishing he had been a better dad.  He loved watching his grandchildren run around like crazy, provided they never touch his sacred coffee table, in all its organized glory.

He will be remembered for his outrageously over the top neatness, his sense of humor, his grumpiness, his I-don’t-give-a-damn-what-you-think attitude, his intelligence, and his love and devotion for his wife of 51 years. He was preceded in death by his parents, in-laws, and his granddaughter, Rose. He is survived by his wife, his son, Matthew Rhode (Katirae), his daughter, Caroline Byers (Tom), his daughter, Sharon Tracy (Chris), grandchildren Abbie, Jacob, Alex, Benjamin, Taylor, Mary Elizabeth, Gabriel, and Charlotte, his sister in-law Patty Thyfault and her husband Dave, his nephews, Justin and Adam Thyfault (Stacie), his brother Chet, nieces Candie Oviatt (Ken) and Heather Witherington, and 8 great-nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held for Dusty on Tuesday, December 15th from 4:00 - 6:00 PM in the Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, located at 3101 South Wadsworth Boulevard in Lakewood, Colorado. A Funeral Mass will be Wednesday, December 16th at 10:00 AM at All Souls Catholic Parish, 4950 South Logan Street in Englewood, Colorado. Dusty will then be laid to rest at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, in Dan's memory, please donate to:  Notre Dame Bands, https://www.ndband.com/supporting-the-notre-dame-band/giving-to-the-band.cfm. Please be sure when donating to please write in the comments, that your donation is in Dan's memory. The school will be purchasing a trumpet in his memory for a student who doesn't have a trumpet, putting a plaque with Dan's name on the case.  When trumpets are no longer useful to the band, they are donated to deserving high schools.

For those who are unable to attend Dan's service, please join us virtually by clicking on the following link: https://youtu.be/pXDE4VrAlro

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