Grady Rhoden
Grady Rhoden, a native of Chattanooga, died on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Grady L. Rhoden Sr. and Elinor Poindexter Rhoden.
He is survived by his loving wife Mary; sons David and Matthew (Joanne), daughter Beverly (Pete Steyn), and their mother Judith Rhoden; step-daughter Carole, stepson Alan, and their children, Amber, Esme and Florence; brother, Edward Rhoden, sister Linda (Jim McKinney), and many nieces and nephews.
He was a graduate of Chattanooga High School where he was president of the Class of 1955 and captain of the football team. While there he was a member of National Honors Society and ROTC.
Just out of high school, he worked as a draftsman at Wheland Company before being hired as a co-op student at Combustion Engineering. He entered Georgia Tech with funds earned at Combustion, and graduated in 1960, ranked second in his class, in Mechanical Engineering.
Grady entered the Army Ordnance Corps where he was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground (Maryland), Fort Benning (Georgia), in Germany, and in Florida. After two years in the Army, Grady was released from active duty and placed on Reserve service, where he attained the rank of Captain. He remained in the Army Reserve for five years.
For some years he was employed by various companies as a mechanical and electrical engineer, but his life-long dream was to have a company of his own. He realized that dream in 1974, when he and his business partners, brother Edward and friend Fred Wrinkle, incorporated the mechanical and electrical engineering firm, R-W Contractors.
The company he founded maintained wastewater and chemical plants as distant as Hawaii, Schenectady, NY, and Boston, and did service work throughout Tennessee and Georgia. The company grew until Grady retired in 2015. The company continues today with Edward, and his sons Edward Jr. and Lamar, at the helm.
Apart from starting his own company, Grady had a very full, adventurous, and busy life. He is a past chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party. He ran for Tennessee’s Third District seat in the United States Congress in 1990 and though he did not win, he remained enthusiastically involved in politics most of his life.
He was awarded Engineer of the Year in 1995 by Chattanooga Engineering Society. He served on the boards of Chattanooga Housing Authority and the Hamilton County Board of Equalization, and also served two terms as President of the Chattanooga Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.
He was a member of the McFerrin Class at Brainerd United Methodist Church.
He traveled a huge part of the world with his wife Mary, who worked in the travel business. He loved riding bicycles and relished the chance to ride in cities around the world, especially London.
Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 10, at 12 p.m. in the funeral home chapel of Hamilton Funeral Home with Chaplain Phil Sumrall officiating. Interment will follow at the Chattanooga National Cemetery with Military Honors. Family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until time of service Wednesday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to MOAA Scholarship Fund to Jim Hargrove, 1739 Bayfront Dr., Soddy Daisy, Tn. 37379.
Please share your memories of Grady with the family at www.hamiltonfhofchattanooga.com
Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 4506 Hixson Pike, Hixson, Tn. 37343.