Obituary: Joan Helen (LaVine) Rhodes, 98, Of Redding

Information and Photo Courtesy Bouton Funeral Home

REDDING, CT — Joan Helen (LaVine) Rhodes, 98, of Redding, formerly of Shrewsbury, MA; Port St. Lucie, FL; W. Falmouth, MA; Needham, MA; and Baldwin, NY, died Nov. 3, 2023. She is survived by her five children: Bill Jr., Ellen Mims, Tom, Phyllis, and Ken Rhodes; fifteen, adoring grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; a brother, James LaVine of Baldwin, NY; and a sister, Mimi Wilson of Pittsford, NY. She is predeceased by her devoted husband of 63 years, Bill Rhodes Sr., and her sister Jeanne Lyons.

Joan was born in Brooklyn, New York on Oct. 11, 1925. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra College in 1947. Joan was above all a loving mother and grandmother, not only to her own children but to foster children, exchange students and neighborhood youth as well. She volunteered with the American Red Cross Blood Mobile in Needham and later managed the “Bargain Box” thrift shop in Southgate at Shrewsbury’s Independent Living community - well into her nineties. She was an avid reader, a rock hound, a lifelong swimmer, a much-appreciated cook, and a beloved matriarch.

A celebration of her life is being planned. Memorial donations may be sent to Foster Care to Success, 23811 Chagrin Boulevard, Suite 210, Beachwood, OH 44122, or to your favorite charity in her memory.