It has been a very long time since I have posted anything and I apologize. We had a great trip to Utah the end of December for Nicks brothers wedding, a wonderful Christmas, and Makenna had an amazing 4th birthday. After all of those happy times the most unimaginable thing happened to my family and our family is forever changed. On February 7, 2014 dad very unexpectedly and suddenly passed away at only 60 years old.
The morning he passed away he woke up as usual and hadn't given anyone any inclination he hadn't been feeling well. He went about his morning routine, and kissed my mom goodbye and told her he loved her. We have been living in their home while Nick has been job searching and I was up getting ready for work so on his way out the door he told me "Have a good day Reb, love you." I stated the same and out the door he went. Little did we know that would be the final interaction I would have with him in this earthly life.
There was fresh snow on the ground. It looked so beautiful out and I happily went off to work. Before our change of shift report was complete at 7:15am an intercom page rang overhead "code blue, ER room 4", I asked someone to double check the code sheet to see if I was on the code team (I am 9 times out of 10 so just assumed), one of my co-workers stated "of course you are." I told them I would be back as soon as I can and I ran down to the ER.
The whole code team got to the ER before the patient arrived while putting our gloves on and getting things in place we got a brief report that stated a 60 year old male, went down while shoveling snow at Ellensburg cement, his co-workers saw him go down and started CPR at the scene, he is currently in V-Fib." I then asked "what is his name? My dad works there." Someone then said "Steven Rhdoes." My heart stopped, and I felt as though the whole world had collapsed around me. I must have turned white as a ghost when I said "that is my dad."
Moments after we all realized who the patient was. I was helped out of the room and asked to give as much health information I could give about him. Then through the ambulance bay came my dad. He was laying on a stretcher with a bag and mask to his face and a paramedic pumping his chest. The moment I saw him I knew things weren't going well.
As quickly as I could pull myself together I called my mom, and my siblings and told them to get to the ER right away. Through my tears and sobs I explained what I could. I'm sure I sounded like a basket case. The next two hours were a blur. The team stopped and restarted CPR multiple times and he wasn't responding to their efforts. After almost 2 hours of continuous CPR and many medications later they finally had a faint, steady pulse. An echo-cardiogram was preformed and there was no good news to be said. He had very poor blood profusion. It was as if blood was just sloshing around his heart and not pumping to the rest of his body. During his whole ER visit the ER doc had been in contact with a cardiologist at one of the hospitals in Yakima 30 miles away. She had done a very good job explaining what she knew and gave my family the option of sending him to Yakima to the cardiologist or to keep him there and being with him as he passed. She explained that there was so much damage already done to his brain and heart, that he was essentially brain dead. It was clear the medications and ventilator were the only things keeping him alive and there wasn't much more to be done. She also stated that he would likely not survive the trip to Yakima.
As a family we prayed, cried together and then made the hardest decision any of us have ever had to make. We made the impossible choice to spend his final moments with him and to turn the medications and ventilator off. We knew he would have only wanted life support on long enough for everyone to say goodbye. After all of our local immediate family arrived the medications were slowly turned off, and my dad very peacefully went to live with The Lord.
Although it was the most awful day there were many blessings that occurred in order for all of my family to be there and say our goodbyes. If he had not been outside shoveling snow someone may not have found him for over an hour if he was inside the office. The two men that saw him go down performed effective CPR, were quick to act and the cold helped preserve his heart. Although it was traumatizing to be at work and on the code team that day, if I hadn't been there my mom would have had to find out from the sheriff who was sent to her house to tell her the news.
I am so grateful for my friends and co-workers, the paramedics/emt's, and his two co-workers who all worked so hard to save his life. I will be forever grateful that their efforts allowed my family to spend his final moments with him. I am also grateful for the love and support that was shown to me and my family.
His funeral was this last Saturday. There were over 600 people in attendance and I know hundreds more who attended in spirit. The falling snow made a majestic atmosphere at his graveside service as he was given his military honors and taps was played. The whole service was beautiful and was a perfect tribute to him.
For those of you who weren't able to attend the service I want to share the memories and remarks I made at his funeral service:
Growing up my siblings and I loved to fight over who got to
be dad’s helper and who got to spend time with him. We fought over many things
like who got to help him feed cows, ride in his old red truck, take trips to
the dump, or ride his 3 wheeler with him. I vividly remember many fights with
my brother Mitchell over who would have the “privilege” of removing Dad’s
smelly socks and shoes at the end of his work day. Neither one of us liked his
smelly feet but for whatever reason it was a daily fight and we found it an
honor to do so.
Some of my
favorite memories with my dad include, camping at salmon la sac and ensign
ranch, many Easter weekends with the extended Rhodes family, and several
Memorial Day weekends with the Barkley Family spent in Ocean Shores,
day trips to the Teanaway, Summer family vacations and seeing my dad in his
favorite roll as a Papa.
As a teenager
my Dad drove me to one of my softball tournaments in Port Angeles. Dad took it upon himself to
turn the 4 hour drive into a torture-fest
by making it a Willie Nelson sing-a-long marathon. For those of you who
have heard my dad sing you know he can't carry a tune in a bucket. When
referring to Dad's singing mom calls him “Johnny one note.” He tapped his hand kind of to the beat and he sang the same
note loud and proud for 4 hours! Although the singing was terrible, the laughs
we shared and the conversations we had that drive are priceless, cherished
memories.
My dad was the
world’s best cheerleader. I don’t think that he or my mom missed a single home
game of any of our many sporting events, nor a single choir or band concert. He
was always our biggest fan! Dad was a quiet, reserved man until you got him on
a football field, wrestling mat, Softball field, tennis court, or a quiet
auditorium. His cheers were always heard over all of the others. He didn’t care
that people weren’t supposed to cheer in tennis; he did it anyway, as loud as
he could!
I loved
watching the relationship Dad had with his Mother whom we lovingly refer to as
Gram. There wasn’t a day that went by
that he and Gram didn’t talk on the phone or visit with one another in person.
Whenever Gram would come to our house whether it was for a Sunday dinner, or a
big party somehow through the chaos they always seemed to find each other and
enjoy a quiet conversation that was just theirs. He loved her so much and told
her every day. My last memory of the two of them together was one of my
favorites. It was super bowl Sunday, just a few days before he passed away. It
was the first time Gram had ever watched a football game in its entirety and
Dad was happy to tell her all about it. We all got a kick out of Gram and dad
cheering together. They had the best time and I’m so thankful that is a memory
I will have of them forever!
My dad was a
devoted and faithful husband. As many of you know, he was perpetually early for
everything and my mom is perpetually late, for everything! They would usually
compromise by meeting in the middle and being exactly on time, which in my dad's
opinion was late. It made him absolutely crazy but, in the
words of Brad Paisley “He didn’t mind, waitin’ on a woman.” In the 30 plus years my parents have been
married they didn’t share one, not one single fight, not even over being late.
My Dad always kissed my mom every time they greeted or departed one another 4
times. I never asked why 4 times, but it was always 4 sweet kisses on the lips.
They loved to hold hands while walking and still lovingly refer to each other
as “my sweetheart” and Dad often talked about how beautiful my mother is and
wondered how he got so lucky to have her in his life. I am so blessed to have
such an amazing example of marriage to emulate in my own life.
My daughter Makenna
loved her papa and Papa loved his Kenna Bug. She enjoyed being his helper
especially outside in his garden. Makenna learned at a very young age that he
was a sucker for her sweet smile and blonde curls. She knew that when she
helped Papa she got paid in her words “big monies.” Little monies in her world
are coins but Papa paid in dollar bills. She always seemed to catch him on days
when he had only 5 or 10 dollar bills in his wallet. Makenna would often wave
the hose around making a huge mess, pick up two sticks and a couple of rocks,
move them across the yard where he would later have to pick them up himself and
would then coax him into paying her $10. She had the papa system worked!
From the
moment he held my sweet Mailey Anne for the first time they shared a special
bond. She looked up at him with her giant brown eyes and he was a goner. My dad
was her favorite person in the whole world. She said Papa before she even said
Mama or Daddy and always went to Papa when Nick or I did something she didn’t
like. Almost as if she had to tell Papa on us.
Every day when dad would come home for lunch she would climb onto his
lap, eat lunch with him, and he was always happy to share. The day before he
passed away while heading back to work after their “lunch date” as he called
it, Mailey waved goodbye, blew him kisses and for the first time put the phrase
“I love you Papa” together. He was so proud that he got the first “I love you”
from her and told everyone he saw or spoke to about it for the rest of the day.
I am so
grateful for my dad and for example he was to me. I’m grateful that he taught
me the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and that through God’s glorious plan my
family is forever. Although my heart is breaking and I miss him terribly, I
know that his young passing, for reasons I don’t know at this time is part of
our Heavenly Fathers plan. He led his life in a way that even my sweet 4 year
old knew where he was going. In the moments before his passing Makenna looked
at me and asked "What is Papa waiting for? Jesus is ready and he is waiting
for him." He was a faithful servant of Jesus Christ and I know with
assurity that he is in paradise walking side by side with our savior.
My testimony
of our eternal family is that I know through God’s plan we will be reunited
with each other again someday. I know when our time also comes to pass away,
that if we live faithfully Daddy will be welcoming us into heaven with a giant, warm bear hug and what a glorious reunion that will be! My prayer and
wish is that we will all live as he did showing love to all those around us.
Please, let the three words “I love you” be the last words your loved ones hear
you say, just as both my mom and I did from him. I pray that we can all use his
life as an example and never let the opportunity to tell someone that you love
them go by. I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
I love and miss you Daddy. Goodbye, until we Meet again.
