Michael Andrew Rhoads

Michael Andrew Rhoads of West Chester, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully at home on January 14, 2026 at the age of 85 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. Michael was born on March 10, 1940 at Muncy Valley Hospital in Muncy, Pennsylvania, to Leona Maud (Hill) and Philip Andrew Rhoads.
Michael went on to graduate from Montoursville Area High School in 1958 and then attended The Pennsylvania State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering in 1962. During his time at Penn State, he was a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. Following graduation, he took his first job with Vought Aircraft in Dallas, Texas, where he sometimes recalled to his family the factory shutdown following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Michael later returned to State College to take a position with HRB Singer where he eventually met his wife, Susan Lorraine Holcombe, at a company pool party. Michael and Susan were married on May 29, 1966 at State College, Pennsylvania and lived in their first home on Waupelani Drive. Michael and Susan, along with their daughter Wendy, eventually moved to Medford Lakes, New Jersey, where Michael transitioned into a position as a sales representative for industrial equipment, eventually forming his own company, Rhoads Technologies, Inc., where he would later retire.
Michael, or "Mike" as he was known, was an incredibly loving husband and father to his family, and a devoted member of his church and community. Mike loved his country and served his full term with the U.S. Army Reserve, where he was honorably discharged from in 1970 with the rank of Sergeant. Mike had a beautiful tenor voice and loved to sing wherever he was. He was a regular, very committed member of his church choir from childhood at Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to his final place of worship at Calvary Lutheran Church in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He also sang with the Pine Barrons, a barbershop chorus, for several years throughout the 1970s into the early 1980s. He later joined Singing City Choir of Philadelphia, where they performed at numerous concert venues, churches, and schools in the region, including the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Mike had a passion for electronics both professionally and personally; computer components and electronics equipment were always present around the house. His passion for Oldies and Classical music extended well beyond his voice and developed into an extraordinary knowledge and deep understanding of music. He also restored vintage cars, including his grandfather's 1949 Dodge Wayfarer and was mechanic for the family vehicles. Mike was the pied piper to dogs and no matter where we were, they were by his side. As his grandchildren came into his life, he truly enjoyed spending quality time with them, where his silly sense of humor and comedic impressions provided endless laughs and entertainment. Last, but not least, Mike was a diehard Penn State football fan and would cheer (or jeer) his Lions over the decades. Through good times and bad, his love for PSU would never wane.
Michael is survived by his wife of 59 years, Susan Holcombe Rhoads, his two children Wendy, Mark and wife Michelle (Totoro), his four grandchildren, Alessandra and Camille Martorella, Samantha and Michael Rhoads, his brother David and wife Candy Rhoads, his sister Nancy (Rhoads) and husband Ronald Whipple, his sister-in-law Marjorie (late, Stephen Rhoads), his many nieces and nephews who knew him as "Uncle Mike" and of course, his dog Riley.
Services will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church, 730 South New Street, West Chester, PA, 19382, on Saturday, January 31, 2026 with Visitation beginning at 10:00 AM followed by a Memorial Service at 11:30 AM. Inurnment for family and close friends will follow outside at the Columbarium, followed by lunch for all in Fellowship Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Mike's memory to The Parkinson's Foundation (https://www.parkinson.org/).