Obituary: Marion Rhodes, professor emeritus of Chemistry
Marion Rhodes, 86, of Sunderland, alumna and professor emeritus of Chemistry, died Nov. 11 at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. She had suffered a stroke at home on Nov. 1.
Born in St. Louis, she grew up in southern Connecticut, where she married Arthur Rhodes, and at the same time began studies at the University of Connecticut. While working nights in the textile mills of Willimantic, she earned a B.S. in chemistry in 1948.
She started her career as a chemistry instructor at University of Connecticut’s Waterbury and Hartford branches. She later took positions in the agronomy and genetics departments at UConn.
With her broad scientific experience, she joined the University of Massachusetts Experiment Station for Feeds and Fertilizers as an analytical chemist.
She completed her studies toward a master’s degree in physical chemistry in 1960 and then, while teaching part-time at both UMass and Anna Maria College in Paxton, she continued on her lifelong pursuit of science by completing a Ph.D. in polymer chemistry in 1966 and then accepted a full-time appointment as an instructor in Chemistry.
Her research focused on polymer morphology, the structure of foams and the development of optical microscopy techniques for the analysis of these compounds. As the world turned digital, she developed techniques to interface the optical microscope with quantitative analytical methods of analysis. The applications of her work ranged from material strength in a structural context to the application of foams to enhanced oil recovery.
She authored more than 60 professional papers during her career. She also received a variety of awards for scientific excellence, including a National Science Foundation Fellowship, Sigma Xi Award for Research, Fellowship in the American Physical Society as well as the Fachuerband Schaumkunstoffe Award at the 1987 World Congress on Polyurethanes.
In 1968, she took a one-year appointment at the physics department at the University of Bristol in England, the first of several visiting fellowships and sabbaticals throughout her 40-year career. Her other host institutions included Royal Holloway College at the University of London, University of Southern California, the Optics Institute in Rochester, N.Y., and the Carl Zeiss Laboratory in Thornwood, N.Y.
In 1989, she was appointed a full professor. She retired in 2000, but continued her commitment to education in physical chemistry, offering advanced optical microscopy courses to emerging scientists on a “pro bono” basis. She also continued her key roles in the Optical Microscopy Laboratory, a fee-based revenue laboratory, providing training to industry clients as well as analytical services.
She also renewed her love of botany and was involved in volunteer activities at the Botanic Garden at Smith College.
She leaves by her son, E.G. (Skip) Rhodes and his family in Dallas, Texas, and two granddaughters, Yael Varnado-Rhodes of Chicago, and Victoria Marisela Rhodes of Dallas.
Services will be held Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 91 South Main Street, Sunderland. Visitation will be held one hour before the service. Following a brief visit at the graveside in Riverside Cemetery, there will be light refreshments served at the church hall annex.
November 18, 2009.
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