Mrs. Beth Bedgood Rhodes, age 81, of Vidalia, died Wednesday, September 9, 2020, in the Community Hospice House in Vidalia after an extended illness. She was born in Savannah, lived most of her life in Vidalia and was a 1956 graduate of Vidalia High School. She and her late husband owned and operated 60 Minute Cleaners in Vidalia in the 1960’s. She worked as a licensed realtor for seventeen years, working with Tom Peterson Realtors and later, founded Beth Rhodes Realtors in Vidalia. Her God-given passion was her love and devotion to children, including working as a paraprofessional in the Toombs County school system, vacation Bible school, girl scouts, Sunday school teacher, day camps and children’s choir. She was a former long-time member of the First Baptist Church of Vidalia and currently was a member of the First Baptist Church of Lyons. She was an enthusiastic tennis player; she enjoyed riding horses, cooking and the companionship of her dogs. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rex Rhodes; a son, Ed Rhodes; her maternal grandmother and uncle who raised her, Leona Kemp and Claude Edwin “Bubba” Kemp; her parents, R.J. Bedgood and Marguerite Kemp; a son-in-law, Ed Rish; and a brother, Bobby Lloyd Bedgood.
Mrs. Rhodes is survived by two daughters, Lee Rhodes Rish of Greenville, South Carolina, and Lyn Rhodes Akins and husband Trent of Lyons; five grandchildren, Zach Rish and wife Beth of Greenville, Thomas Akins of Greenville, Caitlin Rish of Connecticut, Hannah Womack and husband Jonny of Statesboro, and Alex Akins and wife Meredith of Athens, and three great-grandchildren, Solomon Rish, Abraham Womack and Drew Womack.
The funeral service was held Friday, September 11th, at 1:00 p.m. in the chapel of Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home with Reverend George Holcomb and Reverend Trent Akins officiating. Burial followed in Lakeview Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers were Thomas Akins, Zach Rish, Alex Akins and Jonny Womack.
Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home of Vidalia was in charge of arrangements.
