Roderick Lee Thonen was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, on September 18, 1950, to the late Robert Ellsworth and Mary Singleton Thonen. Rod and his late brother Robert "Bob" R. Thonen grew up in northern Virginia, where he graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1968. He excelled as an athlete and was later inducted into the Mount Vernon Majors Athletic Hall of Fame.
Rod studied at Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colorado, where he earned a degree in Environmental Geology. He went on to become the owner of CG Imagery and Peregrine Village, specializing in architectural, product, and environmental visualizations.
Rod was married to the late Eileen Thonen and is survived by his children Erika, Aaron (Carrie), and Alex (Luci), his grandchildren Madelynn, John, Hollyn, Ayla, Nevaeh, and Mackenzie, as well as his niece, Alexis Thonen.
An avid rock climber, fisherman, and road cyclist, Rod also had a passion for riding motorcycles.
