Rhody Joseph Megal

1939 - 2017

Megal, Rhody Joseph Local real estate magnate Rhody Joseph Megal of Wauwatosa joined our Most Holy Lord in Heaven on March 3, 2017 at the age of 77 after an extremely valiant, protracted battle against multiple major medical challenges. He is survived by his beloved soulmate and wife of 53-plus years Carolyn; sisters Rita and Patricia; brother-in-law Curt Meitz (Kristel); children Mark (Carrie), Paul (Jennifer), Phillip (Sarabeth), Joel (Rebecca), and Rhonda (Brady); numerous nephews and nieces; and grandchildren Emma, Kye, Celia, Luc, Ethan, Kara, Anthony, Kasper, Thomas, Sebastian, and Franklin. He is preceded in passing by his father Joseph, mother Belvina, parents-in-law Charles F. and Caroline Meitz, sister Dolores, and brothers-in-law Robert Dunkin, Richard Wolff, Gerald Nell, and Charles J. Meitz. In business, Rhody is widely recognized for his many accomplishments as president and principle owner of Brookfield, WI-based Megal Development Corporation, which was founded by his father and has excelled in industrial and commercial real estate development and construction in southeastern Wisconsin since 1946. Active in the company on a full-time basis since 1963, Rhody personally spearheaded the development of numerous local industrial and business parks. Together with two other family-owned companies, Megal Development currently owns and manages over 60 properties in Greater Milwaukee, supporting hundreds of local companies and thousands of family-supporting jobs. Rhody graciously shared his professional successes and experience with many worthy local charitable, scholastic, faith-based and commercial organizations. He served on various governing and advisory boards, including North Shore Bank, Marquette Savings Bank, Mount Mary College, Marquette University High School, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Notre Dame Middle School, Christ King Catholic Church, and various chambers of commerce. An alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Rufus King High School, he was an invited member of both the Knights of Malta and the Knights of Columbus and greatly enjoyed his affiliations with the Wisconsin Club, Blue Mound Golf & Country Club, and the Milwaukee Athletic Club. A true 20th and 21st century "Renaissance Man", Rhody was an eager and fearless student of world geography, culture and cuisine, globetrotting with his wife Carolyn to the far corners of the earth. Other passions past and more recent included playing the saxophone, bowling, boating, waterskiing, fishing, hunting, and all forms of the arts. He was an auto enthusiast, former grade school sports coach and den leader, and extremely loyal fan of both the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers. After spouse, family, friends and colleagues, the next loves of his life were two rustic cottages on serene Pearl Lake in Redgranite, WI. He loved building things with his hands and was very proud of his self-designed, self-built home. In general, he will be remembered for his keen mind, wry wit, and boundless energy, strength and compassion; in specific, his strong Christian faith, his many proactive deeds on behalf of those in need, his ever-ready smile and laugh, his shoulder-numbing "love tap" punches, his semi-annual fanatical calorie-counting weight loss diets, and his one-of-a-kind pig roasts, clam bakes, and Caesar salads. Visitation will be held at the Funeral Home On Thursday, March 16 from 3 to 7 PM. On Friday, March 17, at Christ King Catholic Church, Milwaukee (2604 N. Swan Blvd.) A 10:45 AM Eulogy will take place, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Marquette University High School, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School or The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society appreciated. The purpose of life... is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson