Lorene (Rene) Rhodes was born in Rochester, N.Y., on Dec. 4, 1938, the third of four children, to Carl and Florence (Marshall) Rath. She married Roger (Dusty) Rhodes on Nov. 7, 1959, in Rochester and then moved with him to Cleveland, Columbus, Buffalo and New Jersey before settling down in Oak Harbor.

Rene helped her husband run their business with their partners and friends Claud and Dolores Jenkins. They enjoyed all outdoor activities and traveling to catch up with their siblings and their Montana-born grandchildren. Rene invested serious time in slot machines and scratch-off lottery tickets. In fact, she had recently admitted to giving in to the powerful urge to scratch off lottery tickets she had purchased as gifts, which required another run to the store for replacement tickets. She was competitive, whether fishing with Dusty or playing Monopoly with the grandkids. Car rides home after a casino trip, during which her son won more than she, were usually pretty quiet. She was a tease, offering desserts and chocolate when she had none to share. One of her favorite places to be was on her John Deere lawn mower, and she spent hundreds of happy hours outside mowing, raking and picking apples (her father’s favorite activity).

Rene faithfully visited her friend every week at Riverview for many years. She was a loyal supporter of her grandchildren no matter what the activity or where the location. After Dusty died in 2006, she made new friends in the blanket knotting group at St. John’s and enjoyed Friday night suppers with friends and family at Kozy Corners. She looked forward to gatherings with her Ohio family, the Waterhouses and Tallmans. Rene was consistently pleasant and kind and will be remembered for her ability to talk in circles better than almost anyone.

She is loved and missed by her sons Steve (Sandy) of Oak Harbor and Dan of Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. / Livingston, Mont. Granddaughters Sarah (Scott) Cline of Yellow Springs, and Tristan (Ethan) Goss of Jay, Vt. Grandsons Thomas of Oak Harbor and Theodore of Livingston, Mont. Sister Beverly McQueeney of Kansas City, Mo. Brothers Robert (Edna) Rath of Albemarle, NC and Dale (Sue) Rath of San Antonio, Fla. She is also survived by her sister-in-law/brother-in-law Ruth and Dave Anderson of Rochester, N.Y., sister-in-law Betty Rhodes of Lakeville, N.Y. and many nieces and nephews and extended family. Her parents and her husband Dusty preceded her in death.

Visitation for Lorene will be Friday, Dec. 9, from 2-8 p.m. at the Robinson-Walker Funeral Home & Crematory, 165 E. Water St., Oak Harbor. Funeral services will be conducted 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 122 W. Ottawa St., Oak Harbor. Burial will follow in Salem Township Union Cemetery, Oak Harbor. Memorial contributions in memory of Lorene may be given to St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Elevator Fund or a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com.