Thomas Rhodes Rockwell

LAGRANGEVILLE, NY - Thomas Rhodes Rockwell, 91, a resident of LaGrangeville, NY since 1955, passed away peacefully with his daughter by his side at Regional Hospice in Danbury, CT on September 27, 2024.
Thomas Rhodes Rockwell was the beloved children's book author of "How To Eat Fried Worms" and many other children's books. He was born in New Rochelle, NY on March 13, 1933 to school teacher, Mary Barstow Rockwell, and illustrator, Norman Rockwell. The family moved to West Arlington, VT in 1939, this ushered in the golden period in the family's life; a childhood of swimming in the famed Battenkill River under the covered bridge, playing ball on the village green and helping out at the dairy farm next door. Tom excelled at school, first at Oakwood School in New York and then at Arlington Memorial High School in Vermont, where he graduated as Valedictorian. He moved on briefly to Princeton, finally settling at Bard College where he met radiant artist, Gail Sudler, whom he married in 1955. The couple made their home in LaGrange, NY.
Gail illustrated a number of her husband's first children's books. Tom's "How to Eat Fried Worms" met with great success; he was awarded the Mark Twain Award in the 1970's. Many years later, a film of the book was made. For almost 40 years Tom was the manager of the Norman Rockwell Family Agency. He was also the co-writer of his father's autobiography, "My Adventures as an Illustrator".
Tom was a dogged advocate for his father and with his daughter, Abigail, fought determinedly against a fraudulent 2013 biography of Norman Rockwell. He was a great lover of Shakespeare, Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, a dedicated poet, and the kind of man who always returned wrong change. He worked at his typewriter every day of his life.
He leaves behind his son, Barnaby and daughter, Abigail; daughter-in-law, Melanie and granddaughter, Emily; his older brother, Jarvis, as well as one devoted cat, Pippa, who very much loved "The Grandfather". In addition to his parents, Thomas was predeceased by his wife in 2010; and his younger brother, Peter.
Funeral services will be private at this time. Arrangements are under the direction of the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc. Please visit his Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.