James Walter Rhoades, 65, of Dumont, NJ, passed away on December 1, 2022. He was born May 4, 1957, in Woodside Queens, NY. His family moved to Port Jefferson, LI, NY, where he resided until he left for college. He was a lifeguard at Cedar Beach all through his H.S. and college years. Jim entered Oswego College in the Fall of 1975, where he earned a Chemical Engineering Degree. He went on to earn his MBA at Fairleigh Dickenson University.
Jim worked his way up to VP of Engineering at Power Battery Company of Paterson, NJ. During his 20 years there, he traveled to many countries, including; England, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and some of the Scandinavian countries, to present research being developed at Power Battery. When he left Power Battery, he went on to teach Chemistry at Bloomfield H.S. for 13 years until he retired in 2017.
He was an avid sports enthusiast, both as a participant and spectator. He enjoyed swimming, skiing, bicycling, and golfing—a faithful fan of the NY Giants and the NY Yankees.
Jim valued his many long-term friendships going back as far as grammar school. He was often the one who would reach out and bring everyone together.
He’s preceded in death by his mother, Marie Sedlicky Rhoades; he’s survived by his wife Patricia Rhoades, son Alexander Rhoades, father Walter Rhoades and his wife Christine, sister Linda Westerman, brother Ronald Rhoades, and his many nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to join in a Celebration of Jim’s Life on Saturday, December 17, 2022, in Dumont, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for any donations to be made to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. Arrangements: Frech-McKnight F.H., Dumont.