Rhoda Fox (Nee Kennedy), BSc (died 22 September 2006)

(Obituary and Appreciation by Elizabeth Miller, QWG President)

It is with great regret that we record the death of Rhoda, a long standing member of the Queen's Women Graduates which she served as Secretary in 2002. She died on 22nd September 2006, after a long illness bravely borne. She will be greatly missed by her many friends.

Rhoda was born on 14th November 1925 and was educated with her sisters May (now Willans) and Isobel (now Crooks) at The Hall, Monkstown, Co. Dublin. She loved all sports, playing for the school in hockey, lacrosse and tennis, achieving interprovincial level at lacrosse.

She was also a good scholar, entering the Science Faculty in QUB in 1942 at the tender age of seventeen and graduating with a BSc in Zoology in 1945.

During this time she met Howard Fox, a civil engineer, and they married shortly after graduation. Their first child, Olivia, was born in Belfast before they decamped to Singapore where David and John were born. They both enjoyed life in Singapore and after leaving always kept in touch with friends they had made there. In 1958 as the children got older, the decision was made to return to Belfast to enable them to be educated at Methodist College. They built their home in Bladon Drive in 1960 where Rhoda devoted her time to being a full time mother. She loved the garden they designed there together and she and the family played golf at Malone Golf Club where Rhoda served as Ladies Captain in 1993. She also played bridge and bowls and was keenly interested in the Ulster Orchestra, attending their concerts regularly. Lately she had taken up guitar and computer classes. Rhoda was a member of the Women's Club and as recently as 1999 served as their President.

She was widowed in 1984, and subsequently moved to Marlborough Park which served as a base for her varied interests. As well as those activities already mentioned, Rhoda travelled internationally on a number of occasions, visiting Canada, Scandinavia, Italy, South Africa and, of course, Singapore, together with trips to see her family. Many of these trips were taken with Olivia, who settled in Barcelona where she still lives with her three children. David moved to Johannesburg in S. Africa and John now lives in Bath and has two children.

We offer our sincere condolences to the family circle.

 

Back to list

 

 

 

 

Top of Page