Henry Kenneth Rhodes

Henry Kenneth Rhodes, known by most as “Ken”, passed from this life on Thursday morning at 12:53AM. He had lived a life filled with joy and fulfillment, but also with physical challenges and pain. Throughout his life, including during his last days, he constantly overcame with godly faith, perseverance, hope and joy. Ultimately, a twenty-five-year battle ended as cancer overcame his body, but never his positive outlook. Now, in Jesus Christ, Ken has overcome death.

Ken is survived by his wife of almost 69 years, Carolyn; sons Brant (with wife, Charlotte), Kent, Kevin (with wife, Julie) and Kerry (with wife, Kris); grandchildren Renee, Elizabeth, Jason, Ethan and Lawson; and cousins, nephews and nieces.

Ken was born in Frederick, Oklahoma on August 14, 1931 to Bertis and Lalla Rhodes. The family soon moved to Roswell, where Ken’s easy access to the New Mexico mountains grew into his lifelong love of the great outdoors.

Ken was a talented and precocious youth. As a teenager, he was invited to travel weekly to a church of Christ near Ruidoso to lead singing. Before long, he had assumed weekly pulpit preaching responsibilities there until he left for Searcy, Arkansas and Harding College in 1949.

At Harding, Ken excelled in academics as a student and in the arts in chorus and photography. He worked full-time college laundry to put himself through school. On weekends, he was an itinerant preacher at numerous country Arkansas churches. Most importantly, at Harding he met, courted and married Carolyn Poston from west Tennessee.

Ken graduated from Harding with dual degrees in Bible and History, while Carolyn received her degree in Education. Ken completed his master’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, while preaching at the church in Elida. The young family, now with two little ones, continued ministry at the Bible chair at Oklahoma University in Norman. In 1959, they answered the call to join the nascent staff at Lubbock Christian College. They also placed membership at a recently-formed congregation that called itself Green Lawn. By 1968, Ken had completed his Doctorate of Education at Texas Tech and would become known as “Dr. Rhodes” to generations of students from Lubbock Christian High School and Lubbock Christian University.

Ken and Carolyn exhibited deep and unwavering commitment to Christian education over the years. Ken taught Bible and history classes. Later Carolyn taught elementary grades for twenty years. Many students of “Dr. Rhodes” still today express deep appreciation for his knowledge, preparation, articulate style, dry wit, but especially his personal interest in and care for each student. Ken served in the LCC administration as Dean of Students where he was known to balance the letter of the law (often regarding the length of a male student’s hair) with both good humor and good grace. Ken and Carolyn raised four sons, each of whom attended Lubbock Christian Schools from kindergarten through college.

Some little or well-known facts about Ken:

• Ken virtually invented the power nap, taking short (ten minute!) daily naps after lunch.

• Ken could personalize a pickup truck to his liking, like no other pickup on the High Plains.

• He could also fix it when something broke.

• Ken was an artist and artisan, whether with pencil and paper or leather or wood or miscellaneous stuff.

• Ken was a consummate fixer and tinkerer, spending a significant amount of time with his tools in the garage.

• In addition to his ministry on campus, Ken continued church work as the weekly preacher at the Lakeview Church of Christ in the Panhandle for fifteen years, and later at the Roaring Springs Church of Christ for five years. Eventually, Ken served as a minister to the retired at Green Lawn for twenty-eight years.

• It’s no secret to most that Ken loved guns and ammo; mountains and wildlife; hunting and fishing; and chainsaws and firewood.

• Ken happened to own an unusual pet within the Lubbock city limits—a loyal, gentle but strong quarter horse named Brownie. Brownie provided Ken a daily respite from the busyness of life and ministry, and served as a rugged packhorse on numerous mountain treks with Ken and his like-minded friends.

One summer morning in 1971, at age 40, Ken was caring for and riding Brownie in the fields adjacent to the campus. Apparently, the docile horse somehow threw him, causing a serious head injury. What Ken thereafter referred to as “The Horse Wreck“ led to a very long recovery, accepting new realities of life and overcoming daily personal challenges. Ken, and Carolyn with him, faced extraordinary consequences of The Horse Wreck with exemplary faith, perseverance and hope. Although he never returned to the classroom, Ken continued his career in Christian education by influencing generations of young people at Lubbock Christian until he retired in 1993.

Ken’s later years were marked by increasing pain and inconvenience as his physical frame slowly gave out on him. Despite being confined to a chair and then a bed, Ken continued to exhibit to his visitors and caretakers at Raider Ranch his gentle goodness, personal faith, appreciation, love, and, of course, his personal brand of light-heartedness.

Through all his days, Ken continued to keep the faith, to keep pressing on, to keep fighting the good fight—an example that all of us should emulate. Now Ken has finished the race and has been awarded the crown of righteousness (II Timothy 4:7-8).

A memorial service will be held at Green Lawn church of Christ on Wednesday, July 7 at 10:00. In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts in honor of “Dr. Ken Rhodes” to Lubbock Christian School and Lubbock Christian University.