Richard Grover Rhodes

Richard “Dick” Grover Rhodes, age 81, of Brookhaven, GA died Sunday, July 21, 2019. He was born in Lake Wales, FL on August 14, 1937, to the late Grover and Gertie Johnson Rhodes of Tampa, FL. He was a 1955 graduate of Hillsborough High School in Tampa, attended Florida State University, and served in the U.S. Navy.

With an outgoing personality and smart fashion style, Richard spent his early career managing men’s clothing stores in Athens, GA and Atlanta. He later worked in the food industry and retired as purchasing director of the Brookhaven Capital City Club in 2004.

Friends and coworkers loved and respected Richard for living his beliefs. He served as an openly gay delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1988 and 1992 and as chair of the DeKalb Democratic Party. He was the first openly gay candidate to run for a public office in Georgia in 1988. He fought vigorously for basic human and civil rights all his life and became a respected gay activist on all levels. Richard received the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and was included in the 2012 Fenuxe 50 Most Outstanding Individuals of Our Community as “The Trail Blazer.” A worldwide traveler and prolific reader, he enjoyed being with people and having fun. His taste in music ranged from Purlie to Pink Floyd. He attended the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta, which recently honored him as the 2019 Greeter of the Year.

Richard is survived by a cousin, Pam (Jim) Auchmutey of Atlanta; a special dear friend, Duc Hein Luong Nguyen of Brookhaven; chosen son David (Lee) Neubecker and his two children, Braiden and Michael, of Chicago; longtime friend Larry Mock of Atlanta; and a host of other close loving friends.

A memorial service for Richard will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 3, at the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard’s name to VH1 Save the Music Foundation, P.O. Box 2096, New York, NY 10108-2096 or a charity of your choice. Arrangements are being handled by the Cremation Society of Georgia in Atlanta.