Alice D. Rhoades

Alice D. Rhoades of Bayville N.J. passed away peacefully on May 28, 2024, after courageously battling an illness. She was born on September 7, 1940, to Ernest and Frieda Deom in Cincinnati, OH where she attended Regina High School. She always cherished her Ohio roots and often called it “God’s Country.” She also expressed her passion for her birth city by being a faithful fan of both the Reds and Bengals.

After living her youth in Cincinnati, her family moved to Toms River, N.J. Initially, this felt like moving “halfway to Europe” to Alice, but she learned to love living on the Jersey Shore before long. There, she met her husband, Harry, who she was happily married to for 57 years. Family and faith were always important to Alice. She always embraced visits from her brother’s family who she adored. She especially enjoyed the barbecues with them on her porch after a fun day at the beach. She would faithfully drive her sons to their little league games, scouting events, masses where they served as altar boys, and the local library where they worked during their high school years. She was especially proud of their collegiate degrees.

Professionally, Alice worked in Toms River as a legal secretary and was popular among many attorneys whose practices were located there. Always a lover of animals, she was especially fond of the pet dogs she owned over the years, Dolly and Cosette. She became an expert in N.J. birds and enjoyed visits by them to her birdfeeders, especially the woodpecker. Alice always kept a sharp mind by working on crossword puzzles and watching Jeopardy regularly. She was an avid reader and enjoyed maintaining plants and flowers around her house, which could also serve as both a library and a botanical garden.

Alice is survived by her husband Harry Rhoades, her children, Michael Rhoades and his wife Erin, and Bruce Rhoades. Alice is also survived by her three grandchildren, Colin, Emma, and Kealie who she dearly loved. Alice is preceded in death by her brother Frank Deom and her parents, Ernest and Frieda Deom.

A celebration of Alice’s life will take place on Friday, May 31, 2024, from 5:00-8:00 pm at Mastapeter Memorial Home (270 Atlantic City Blvd, Bayville, NJ 08721). A Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, June 1 at 11:00 am at St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church (33 Woodland Rd, Bayville, NJ, 08721). In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Alice’s memory to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

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