Chris L. Rhodes III

1932 - 2023

Rhodes, Chris L. III

March 31, 1932 - September 3, 2023

Chris L. Rhodes, III, passed away on September 3, 2023, at his home at Montereau Retirement Community in Tulsa. Chris was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on March 31, 1932, to parents Chris L. Rhodes, Jr., and Mildred Clark Rhodes. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Lois Rhodes Short and her husband Dick, his first wife Judy, and his sons Chris Rhodes, IV, and Huntington Wolcott Rhodes.

Chris grew up in Tulsa, attended Lee Elementary, and graduated from Tulsa Central High School. He received a Bachelor of Business of Administration degree in 1954 and his L.L.B. in 1959 from the University of Oklahoma where he was a member of Delta Upsilon. He served as a B-47 pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1954 to 1958, stationed in Lincoln, NE, with the 370th Bombardment Squadron (SAC) and then in the USAF Reserves from 1958 to 1965, ending his service with the rank of Captain. He was called to duty during the Russian Missile Crisis.

Chris married Judith Peirsol of Florida in 1961, and they raised their sons Chris and Hunt in Tulsa. He and Judy relished time traveling in the US and abroad. Chris especially enjoyed sailing on their sailboat, the Yellow Belly, at Grand Lake, and sailing in Europe and the Mediterranean. In addition to a continued love of flying, Chris swam and played tennis and golf, and continued his exercise regimen into his 90's. OU football and OU women's softball were favorite sports to watch. He loved spending time with friends, smoking good cigars, watching movies, time with his dogs, card playing, and telling jokes. His laugh was infectious, and it was nearly impossible not to join him in laughter.

He joined his father at the law firm of Rhodes Crowe Hieronymus Holloway & Wilson (now Rhodes, Hieronymus, Jones, Tucker & Gable), and spent over 60 years practicing law at the firm in Tulsa. He received a number of awards over the years, including the Tulsa County Bar Association Golden Rule Award.

Following Judy's death, Chris married longtime friend Gay Waid Sellers of Tulsa. In addition to Gay, Chris leaves behind niece Patricia Peirsol of Melbourne, Florida; and nephews Scotty (and wife Pam Peirsol of North Carolina; Steve (and wife Amy) Peirsol of Georgia; and Grant (and wife Patricia) Short of Texas, as well as many friends and colleagues.

A remembrance gathering will be held Saturday, March 30, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Huntington Wolcott Rhodes Award at Cascia Hall in Tulsa, or a chosen charity.