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John S. Rhodes Funeral Home closes after 80 years

It is the city's oldest funeral home and the oldest business on Fourth Street, according to owner Bill Rhodes.

By SHARON L. BOND
Published January 30, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - John S. Rhodes Funeral Home closes Monday after 80 years in business attending some of the city's better known names, such as Aymer Vinoy Laughner who built the hotel; Al Lang, mayor and baseball advocate; George "Dad" Gandy who built the bridge; cartoonist Wally Bishop; and the Bird Lady.

"It's been 80 years and over 30,000 funerals," Bill Rhodes said on Friday. He is the son of the founder.

Rhodes Funeral is the oldest business on Fourth Street and the oldest funeral home in the city, Rhodes said.

Rhodes decided to close the funeral home so he and his wife, Carol Ann, have more free time to travel and enjoy their home on the St. John's River. They also will have a place in St. Petersburg.

He is transferring his business files and preneed agreements to R. Lee Williams & Son Funeral Home at 3530 49th St. N. The Rhodes property at 635 Fourth St. N is up for sale for more than $2-million.

Robin Williams, second generation of R. Lee Williams & Son, said he would honor all prearrangements made with Rhodes.

"It's the fair thing to do. We are happy to," Williams said.

"We have a garage full of files," said Rhodes, who won't specify his age, only saying he is "over 60."

He took over the business from his father in the early 1970s. His half brother, John S. Rhodes Jr., who is deceased, worked with their father in the business and later ran a Clearwater funeral operation the family bought. His son, John S. Rhodes III, also worked there. However, the Rhodes family no longer is associated with the Clearwater business, Bill Rhodes said.

Bill Rhodes worked in the funeral business during summer and winter vacations from high school. Funeral homes had ambulances then, he said, and he rode as an ambulance attendant.

"My dad came down in 1921 and started the funeral business in 1925. He originally rented the building from the brother-in-law of Al Capone," Rhodes said.

"Elliot Ness' widow lived in St. Petersburg. She was very low key about it. I didn't know it until I buried her," he said.

Capone, the gangster, and Ness, the "untouchable" federal agent, battled over corruption in Chicago with Ness playing a large role in finally putting Capone behind bars.

"Over the years, there have been funeral services for a lot of longtime families in St. Petersburg. A lot of professional people. One of the first funerals that helped my father along was Vinoy Laughner," Rhodes said.

Laughner built the Vinoy Park Hotel on Fifth Avenue NE. It was one of the 1920s boom hotels that help put St. Petersburg on the map of those who traveled south for the winter and lived in hotels. After its heyday, the Vinoy sat empty for years before it was refurbished and reopened in the early 1990s.

Rhodes Funeral Home also handled the death of Esther Wright in 1980. Wright was the Bird Lady who tricycled throughout St. Petersburg feeding birds, squirrels, cats and sea gulls. Charles Kuralt's On The Road television series made her famous in 1975. She lived on Social Security and still managed to buy food for animals.

Rhodes said there have been no drastic changes in preparing bodies over the years, though handlers now take more precautions because of some diseases.

What has happened is the arrival of national funeral chains in Florida, both Rhodes and Williams said.

"The big corporations came into Florida about 10 years ago, buying funeral homes, cemeteries and basically taking over," Williams said. Like Rhodes, his business is independent and family owned.

Williams said he hates to see Rhodes close.

"It's history, a tradition that has been in our area for a long time. I think it is sad to see any business after a number of years say there is no one to take it over.

Rhodes has four children, all in different types of business, and only one who lives in Florida.

[Last modified January 30, 2005, 00:10:19]