Robert Rodes

Robert E. Rodes May 29, 1927 - Nov. 25, 2014 SOUTH BEND - Robert E. Rodes, Jr., 87, of South Bend, passed away Tuesday, November 25, 2014, in Memorial Hospital. Professor Rodes was born on May 29, 1927, in New York, NY, to Robert E. Rodes and Marjorie (Reid) Rodes. He attended Trinity School in New York City, graduating in 1944. He earned his A.B. from Brown University in 1947. After serving as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy from 1947 to 1949, he attended Harvard Law School, graduating magna cum laude and earning his LL.B in 1952. He worked in the Legal Department at Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. from 1952 until 1954. He then taught law at Rutgers University until 1956, when he joined the Notre Dame Law faculty. He remained at Notre Dame for 58 years, retiring earlier this year as the Paul J. Schierl Professor of Legal Ethics. During his time there, Professor Rodes taught and wrote in the areas of jurisprudence, law and theology, ethics, legal history, public welfare law, administrative law, corporation law, and civil procedure. He is the author of numerous books and articles, and the recipient of several awards and honors for his work, including the Notre Dame Faculty Award for teaching and service and the Reinhold Neibuhr Award for social justice. Professor Rodes was known for his sharp intellect and his extraordinary memory, but even more for his humility, warmth and compassion. He was a mentor and model for generations of students and colleagues alike. On August 29, 1953, in Belmont, Massachusetts, he married Jeanne Emily Cronin, who survives. Also surviving are two daughters, Anne (Robert) Colee of Flowery Branch, GA, and Mary (Michael) Dell of Oak Lawn, IL; five sons, Robert (Tammi) Rodes of Manchester, TN, John Rodes of Chicago, IL, David (Jane) Rodes of Pittsburgh, PA, Peter (Susan) Rodes of Seattle, WA, and Paul (Shari) Rodes of Bloomington, IN; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 3:30 pm Monday, December 1, 2014, in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Burial will follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 12 pm to 2:30 pm the same day in the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive. There will be a reception beginning at 5 pm in the Morris Inn. Memorial contributions may be made to the Notre Dame Law School's Loan Repayment Assistance Program. To send online condolences, please visit www.kaniewski.com.