Rosalind Rhodes Lee of Mendenhall, Mississippi, passed away on December 29, 2024. She was born February 25, 1943, in Jackson, Mississippi, to Louis Nazareth Rhodes and Myrtle Hall Rhodes.
Rosalind’s roots in central Mississippi ran deep. Her family came to the region as Methodist missionaries in the late 18th century, serving as founding members of communities in Smith, Simpson, and Jones counties. Her grandfather constructed a building on Mendenhall’s Main Street, and her mother was the first female business owner in the county.
Rosalind was proud to be a graduate of Mendenhall High School, Class of 1961. She pursued higher education at Delta State University and at the University of Southern Mississippi, obtaining her B.S. and M.S. degrees. She went on to practice speech-language pathology at the School for the Deaf and Blind in Miami, Florida, and in the San Jacinto County, Texas schools. She later returned home and worked for over a decade at the schools in Covington County and Simpson County.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Rebecca Rhodes, and her brother, Louis Nazareth Rhodes II. She is survived by her son, Jonathan Rhodes Lee; daughter-in-law, Shterna Sara Lee; grandchildren, Ethan Louis Lee and Addey Anne Lee; and her longtime companion, John H. (Zeke) Downey.
Visitation was held at Colonial Chapel Mims Mitchell Funeral Home in Mendenhall on Saturday, January 4, 2025, beginning at 1 p.m. A graveside service followed at 3 p.m. at the Mendenhall City Cemetery.
