Commentary: Robert Rhodes was all aces and winners

Published 4:35 pm Monday, August 30, 2021

Last month I stopped to pick up some apples for a snack on the way to the office; trying to eat healthy as volleyball and football were cranking up.

For some reason I left my phone in my car. When I returned, I saw Robert Rhodes’ name had popped up on my cell with a message.

This was the time of the year when he would call to discuss our pigskin edition (It is officially The Zone, but after 30-plus years of calling it the Pigskin Preview, I have a difficult time changing). He always wanted to know the prospects of all the Tyler schools as well as his Van Vandals.

I thought maybe he was wondering about his Texas Longhorns and how the team would do in 2021 and who would be the quarterback.

And, of course, we always would talk about the U.S. Open with the tennis tournament starting in the Big Apple. He had given me advice in 2019 about going to the tournament because I had mentioned I wanted to watch my favorite players, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, in person. Robert gave me the ins and outs about the event. Of course, no fans were allowed last year and this year Nadal and Williams were out so I was skipping.

Then I listened to the message and my heart sank. His daughter, Ronna, had left the message that my friend had passed away.

I thought back to when I first met Robert. It was in 1984 and I was covering a spring tennis tournament at Tyler Tennis & Swim Club. I had played in tennis tournaments but had never covered one for the newspaper. Someone told me to find Robert Rhodes, the tournament director, and he would help me.

I found out then and over the years if Robert was not at the tournament desk he would be on the tennis court playing or near a court watching his daughters or encouraging players much like when folks cheer on runners in a race.

That day I found Robert watching Reesa, his youngest daughter. I remember walking up and Reesa’s return was in but her opponent called the ball out. She looked to her dad and Robert responded, “Honey, it is her call.”

After years of attending YMCA basketball games and Little League games, not many parents would have reacted so calmly.

That began a lifelong friendship and admiration of Robert.

When away from the tennis courts, Rhodes, a Van High School, Tyler Junior College and University of Texas at Austin graduate, worked in human resources for GE, Trane and American Standard in Tyler a total of 43 years, retiring in 2008.

But his side job was directing some of the top tournaments in the area. As legendary tennis coach John Peterson said, “Robert was an ambassador of tennis.”

He would be the friendly gentleman who greeted you at the tennis tournament headquarters; calmly answering questions; giving court assignments and offering encouragement to all the players, their families and coaches.

From 1984 until 2012, he would oversee the adult and junior tennis events in East Texas. He also served as tournament director four times for the NJCAA Women’s National Tennis Tournament when Tyler Junior College hosted.

“I was asked in 1984 to be tournament director of the East Texas Open,” he told me in 2016. “It was intended to be a one-year assignment, but I wound up directing U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) junior and adult tournaments headquartered at Tyler Tennis and Swim for the next 28 years.”

That was some 200 tournaments.

It was a lifelong sport for Robert.

“I never was that competitive as a junior player, but I loved meeting new friends from other communities through tennis,” Rhodes said. “Years later, all of my daughters participated in high school and USTA tournaments; and two competed at the collegiate level. I loved watching them play, sharing their exhilaration when they won and their disappointments when they lost. Those were vicarious moments for me, and I still treasure them.”

While he said he was not competitive, I came to find out through some research that Robert and his doubles partner Ron Tankersley played in the 1958 state tennis championship while the two attended Van High School. His name is on the wall at the Van Tennis Center. He also played tennis at TJC. So you know he had to be good.

But that was Robert, never bringing attention to himself.

He will be missed immensely.

“I was so saddened to hear the news of Robert’s passing,” said Dr. Tim Drain, former Texas A&M tennis assistant coach and current Tyler Junior College’s Associate Vice Provost — Student Affairs and NJCAA women’s tennis representative. “In my years in Tyler, I don’t know if I have ever met a man as kind as Robert. I always admired his love for the game of tennis, and enjoyed working with him when we hosted the NJCAA Women’s Tennis National Championships. Many a tennis player in this area and beyond had their names called out by that slow, deep voice! He will be sorely missed.”

Added TJC tennis coach Dash Connell, who also played at TJC and at Texas A&M, “Mr. Rhodes was one of the first people I met in the tennis community in Tyler when I first arrived to work at TJC. He was so kind and had an obvious love for the game of tennis. His service to tennis and to TJC impacted so many. We are very proud to have one of our courts at the Murphy Tennis Center named in honor of him. He will be greatly missed.”

A Celebration of Life memorial service for Robert is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. Visitation will follow the service at the home of Jeff and Renna Embry, 2626 S. Chilton Ave. in Tyler.

Tyler, East Texas and the tennis world will miss Robert.

He was all aces and winners.