Rhoda Lea Headley
Rhoda Lea Headley passed away on August 18, 2016 at Barnes Jewish Hospital after complications from pneumonia. She was born in St. Louis County, Missouri to the late Hubert and Wilma Headley. She was a retired Nurse Practitioner and a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserves assigned to the 21st General Hospital. She graduated in 1965 from Jewish Hospital School of Nursing; graduated in 1972 with a BSN & 1979 with a MSN from SLU; and graduated in 1997 with a NP from UMSL. Her many accomplishments included working in various hospitals as a medical and surgical nurse, teaching college students medical, surgical and neurosurgery nursing, and working in a mobile unit for the Army Reserves. Regarding her goal for teaching she said “I decided that I did not want to teach nursing, I wanted to always remember that I was teaching people who wanted to be a nurse”. This was her philosophy in life, always the teacher to her students, family and friends. She also volunteered in numerous community and church organizations, enjoyed reading, lectures, yoga, gardening, travel and the St. Louis Cardinals.
She was preceded in death by sibling James Headley, sister-in-law Doris Headley and brother-in-law Harvey Leemon. She is survived by siblings to Hubert Headley and Anita Leemon; Sister-in-law to Judy Headley; Aunt to Mike Headley (wife Debra Headley); Stephen Headley, Matthew Headley, Amanda Leemon and Shannon Headley (husband Brian Kenny); Great Aunt to Justin, Michael Headley, Lindsey Carvalho, and Quinn Kenney.
Services: First Presbyterian Church of Edwardsville; 237 N Kansas Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025 on September 24, 2016 at 3 p.m. Family will be available starting at 1:30pm.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org) (LLS); St Louis Zoo Parents Program (www.stlzoo.org) or Heifer International (www.heifer.org)
My sympathy to her family.
I fondly remember Rhoda from our years of teaching students at St. Luke’s School of Nursing. Rhoda excelled in her achievements with her education and teaching others.
How many people also hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon? Count Rhoda as one of those people.
We lost touch over the years but I thought of her and wondered how she was doing.
So sorry to hear of her passing.
Ruth McMahon
Rhoda and I were friends for about 40 years. We attended the same church for most of those years. We were fortunate enough to be in a small group of women from the church, and the six of us met regularly and loved and cared for one another. I am the last survivor of these wonderful women who gave so much through their faith and love for each other. Rhoda and I spent many good times together and I will miss her greatly. She was the bravest woman I have ever known
2017Jan09
Cousin.