Rodman Phelps Obituary Rodman Foley Phelps October 29, 1948 － November 22, 2023 Franklin － Rodman Foley Phelps, 75, passed away peacefully with his family by his side at home on November 22, 2023 after a hard fought battle with kidney disease. Rod is predeceased by his beloved daughter Amy, his mother Ruth, and father C.J. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years Tricia, their son Ben, his daughter-in-law Candice, his dearly loved grandchildren Ethan (Courtney), Benjamin, Davis, Logan, and an incredible extended family of dear relatives and friends. Rod was a graduate of the class of 1967 from Franklin High School where he excelled in pitching for the Broncos. He went on to pitch for Chowan College and graduated from Atlantic Christian College with a bachelor of art in History. Rod‚Äôs love for history lead him to teach at Hunterdale Elementary School where he worked alongside Jim Ritter and many dear friends for 27 years. He also taught at Southampton Middle School for 10. Many of his former students have spoken of his ability to "bring history to life" through creating an archaeological dig site, bringing Civil War relics and antique guns, taking students to Jamestown, and creating Colonial Day. Rod‚Äôs many interests included painting, where he painted some of the areas beloved historic homes. He was an also an avid collector of antiques, baseball cards, and historic guns. His interest in local history lead him to be a speaker at local historical societies where he gave detailed descriptions of Civil War battles and troop movements in and around Southampton County. He spent many days relic hunting the fields with his beloved friends finding buttons, bullets, and artifacts of local Civil War history. Alongside his wife, he was very involved in helping bereaved parents in the Franklin and Southampton County area. He helped organize an annual candle lighting for parents of children who have passed away. Rod also spent many summers working alongside close friends at Hayes body shop restoring antique cars. His love for antique cars led him to restore his father‚Äôs ‚Äô66 Ford pickup and his son‚Äôs ‚Äô66 Ford Mustang. He was a longtime member of Franklin Congregational Christian Church. In recent years he attended Kingdom Impact Church. Per his request, he asked for no funeral service. Rod spent his final weeks happily visiting with countless friends and family members at his home. Donations can be made to the Amy Ruth Phelps Art Scholarship care of:The Suffolk Foundation 110 West Finney Ave.Suite 100Suffolk, VA 23434 Obituary published on Legacy.com by Wright Funeral Home and Crematory － Franklin on Nov. 27, 2023. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See also: 1) https://www.wrightfuneralhome.org/obituary/Rodman-Phelps 2) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/rodman-phelps-obituary?id=53685065 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Narrative Summary of the Obituary Rodman Foley Phelps, 75, died on 22 November 2023. A history teacher for 37 years, he was passionate about local history and antique collecting. Rod was an avid painter and car restorer. He helped bereaved parents and was active in his church. He is survived by his wife, son, and grandchildren. ### Narrative Summary of Funeral Services Per Rod's request, no funeral service was held. He spent his final weeks visiting with friends and family at home. Donations can be made to the Amy Ruth Phelps Art Scholarship care of The Suffolk Foundation in Suffolk, VA. ### The Edited Obituary Rodman Phelps Obituary Rodman Foley Phelps 29 October 1948 - 22 November 2023 Franklin - Rodman Foley Phelps, 75, passed away peacefully with his family by his side at home on 22 November 2023 after a hard fought battle with kidney disease. Rod is predeceased by his beloved daughter Amy, his mother Ruth, and father C.J. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years Tricia, their son Ben, his daughter-in-law Candice, his dearly loved grandchildren Ethan (Courtney), Benjamin, Davis, Logan, and an incredible extended family of dear relatives and friends. Rod was a graduate of the class of 1967 from Franklin High School where he excelled in pitching for the Broncos. He went on to pitch for Chowan College and graduated from Atlantic Christian College with a bachelor of art in History. Rod's love for history led him to teach at Hunterdale Elementary School where he worked alongside Jim Ritter and many dear friends for 27 years. He also taught at Southampton Middle School for 10. Many of his former students have spoken of his ability to "bring history to life" through creating an archaeological dig site, bringing Civil War relics and antique guns, taking students to Jamestown, and creating Colonial Day. Rod's many interests included painting, where he painted some of the area's beloved historic homes. He was also an avid collector of antiques, baseball cards, and historic guns. His interest in local history led him to be a speaker at local historical societies where he gave detailed descriptions of Civil War battles and troop movements in and around Southampton County. He spent many days relic hunting the fields with his beloved friends finding buttons, bullets, and artifacts of local Civil War history. Alongside his wife, he was very involved in helping bereaved parents in the Franklin and Southampton County area. He helped organize an annual candle lighting for parents of children who have passed away. Rod also spent many summers working alongside close friends at Hayes body shop restoring antique cars. His love for antique cars led him to restore his father's '66 Ford pickup and his son's '66 Ford Mustang. He was a longtime member of Franklin Congregational Christian Church. In recent years he attended Kingdom Impact Church. Per his request, he asked for no funeral service. Rod spent his final weeks happily visiting with countless friends and family members at his home. Donations can be made to the Amy Ruth Phelps Art Scholarship care of: The Suffolk Foundation, 110 West Finney Ave., Suite 100, Suffolk, VA 23434 ### Vital Statistics Summary | Name | Rodman Foley Phelps | |---------|-------------------------------| | Age | 75 | | Birth | 29 October 1948; Unknown | | Death | 22 November 2023; Franklin | ### Table of Relationships | Name | Relationship | Residence | |-------------------------|---------------------|------------------------------| | Rodman Foley Phelps | Decedent | Franklin | | Tricia | Spouse | Unknown | | C.J. | Predeceased Parent | -- | | Ruth | Predeceased Parent | -- | | Ben | Child | Unknown | | Amy | Predeceased Child | -- | | Candice | Daughter-in-law | Unknown | | Ethan | Grandchild | Unknown | | Benjamin | Grandchild | Unknown | | Davis | Grandchild | Unknown | | Logan | Grandchild | Unknown | | Courtney | Grandchild-in-law | Unknown | ### Other Relevant Information 1. Graduate of Franklin High School, class of 1967 2. Pitched for Chowan College 3. Graduated from Atlantic Christian College with a bachelor of art in History 4. Taught at Hunterdale Elementary School for 27 years 5. Taught at Southampton Middle School for 10 years 6. Known for bringing history to life in his teaching 7. Interests included painting historic homes 8. Avid collector of antiques, baseball cards, and historic guns 9. Speaker at local historical societies on Civil War history 10. Enjoyed relic hunting for Civil War artifacts 11. Involved in helping bereaved parents in Franklin and Southampton County area 12. Organized annual candle lighting for parents of deceased children 13. Restored antique cars at Hayes body shop 14. Restored his father's '66 Ford pickup and his son's '66 Ford Mustang 15. Longtime member of Franklin Congregational Christian Church 16. Later attended Kingdom Impact Church