Elspeth P. Rhodes

Elspeth Patience Rhodes passed away peacefully on March 20th 2021, at home surrounded by her loving family. She was born Elspeth Patience Duncan in Liverpool on Jan 17th 1937 to Dr Elizabeth Macadam Duncan and Dr William Duncan. She was the second of four children and was preceded in death by her elder brother, Macadam Duncan, younger sister, Morag Duncan and grandson, Jack Duncan Rhodes. She is survived by her younger brother, Angus; her husband, John; their 5 children: Helen, Duncan, Douglas-John, Alison and Graham; and 10 grandchildren: Elizabeth, Emily, Erin, Katherine, Rebecca, Madeline, Nicholas, Sam, Abigail and Marin.

As a young girl, Elspeth excelled at cricket, lacrosse and gymnastics, and was an accomplished pianist. She graduated as a Registered Nurse from Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and practiced nursing and midwifery at the Radcliffe Infirmary and Churchill Hospital in Oxford. She met her husband, John Rathbone Rhodes, in Oxford. They were married in Liverpool on September 16th, 1961 and made their home in Wallingford.

Elspeth, adventurous in spirit, said she wanted 4 to 6 children. She, John and their family of 3 young children emigrated to Austin in July 1966 following an “offer they couldn't refuse” of a position for John of Senior Research Scientist at Texas Nuclear Corporation. Elspeth got her wish when she gave birth to Alison and Graham on July 13th, 1967 with record birth weights of 7lb8oz and 8lb9oz. All the children are Longhorns.

In addition to rearing the family, Elspeth did part-time nursing and had many volunteer positions including crossing guard at Hill Elementary, election judge, regent for The Daughters of the British Empire, member of and contributor to the March of Dimes and, later, she managed a doctor's office and a real estate office.

As a grandmother she hosted “Grandma's Summer Camp” every year for the growing family. Grandchildren, not more than two at a time, would stay for about three days during which time they learnt to cook and bake, make their beds, and have good table manners and social graces. All this was very popular because they were able to earn “stars”. Ten stars could be exchanged for a prize which meant a shopping trip to Target. They also learnt to make concrete tiles (John's project). One year the results were a set of decorated concrete disks which exist to this day. Another year they were 12 inch squares with their hand print, signature and date. Forty-five years later these tiles are a permanent part of a step at the former family home.

Elspeth's hobbies included dinner parties, gardening, bird watching, Words with Friends (she could beat anyone else in the family) and duplicate Bridge. At one time she was a member of enough Bridge groups to be playing 7 times a month. She had an innate sense of design that made her layouts of outside yards and inside rooms immediately pleasing to the eye. Elspeth and John also travelled widely, first on road trips around the USA and Canada with the teenage family, then on cruises to various places around the world including the Caribbean, Canada, UK, Norway, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile and South America. She and husband John had plenty of adventures on these trips.

The family would like to thank Dr Knowles and staff at Texas Oncology, and staff at Texas Home Health, Hospice Austin and Baylor Scott and White Lakeway Hospital for their skill and dedication.

Elspeth bore her final illness with great stoicism and courage. She has left a big hole in the family's hearts but it will be filled with many happy memories.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Elspeth's name may be made to the March of Dimes, the American Cancer Society, Texas Home Health and/or Hospice Austin.

Cremation will take place at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar Blvd, Austin TX 78705.

A Memorial Service at Weed-Corley-Fish will be held at a later date. Attendance at the Service is limited due to covid regulations but it will be “live streamed”. Please go to the Weed-Corley-Fish website for details. Interment will be at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery.

Elspeth was “our Matriarch and our Queen.”