Laura Louise Rhodes nee Krull came into the world under very dramatic circumstances on July 20, 1965, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Her father, Paul Henry Krull, fell off the roof of the family home on Walnut Street, and her mother, Marianne Pickel Levy, simultaneously went into labor with her, all as a thunderstorm was rolling in! Laura was born two months premature. She could fit in the doctor’s hand and was not expected to live, yet she grew to be a strapping woman who was as strong as she was beautiful. She was a much-adored child by family, neighbors, and teachers, and it was easy to see why because she was sunny and funny and grew to be a person with a hearty laugh and a strong, gregarious personality.
Laura died on May 1, 2026, under a brilliant full moon, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Laura attended Border Star Elementary School, Bingham Junior High, and Center High School. She attended St. Peter’s Catholic church, and later Visitation. Though not a churchgoer as an adult, she had a devout and loving connection to Jesus throughout her lifetime. She inherited our mother’s spacious spirituality and accepted all kinds of paths and people. She was artistic and ingenious, and enjoyed making her home, and her place in the world, functional and beautiful. She had a keen interest in the wider world and its many facets and liked talking about them. She eschewed modern technology, rejecting the internet age, and rued the catastrophe of the growing and current economic, environmental, and social breakdown.
She had a clear eye about what really matters in life: nature, spirituality, relationships, and beauty. Her favorite career experience was as a florist—she especially loved working under the tutelage of Ana Towata in Alameda, California.
Laura was up for trying just about anything. She reached her arm into a laboring cow to help deliver a calf, though she was not a vet. She ventured where less adventurous people may not dare to tread. She loved luxurious experiences and beautiful views. She was, in general, not willing to drive on a highway.
Laura had challenges throughout her life and yet found ways to find the things she valued in all of her circumstances. She loved the people, the land, and the animals she knew in Pleasant Hope, Missouri, where she lived for 10 years. She felt a special bond with her brother David and his former wife Teri, who she regarded as parent figures. Especially Teri, who cared for Laura after she moved back to St. Louis at the end of her life. They were best friends.
Laura very much loved her life in Alameda, where she lived with her husband Bob (Rocko) Rhodes until his sudden death in 2016. She loved being near the ocean and felt it was her true home. Her life with Bob was profoundly fulfilling for her and she felt she was able to say she had experienced a wonderful life following this beloved marriage. She looked forward to seeing Bob again and kept a close connection to him till the very end.
Laura felt blessed to have had her adventures, and a wide social circle. In the last 10 years, though many aspects of her life were difficult, she still found wonder and appreciation for the simple things—a wildlife event out her window, the sky, a good meal she prepared for herself, a good movie, a good chat with one of her dear friends. She loved spending time with her dear aunts and uncles. She really enjoyed a good laugh! If you listen, you might still be able to hear her.
Laura was preceded in death by our father and mother whom she dearly loved, as well as our sister Claudia with whom she shared a special connection, her stepfather Paul Levy, and her husband Bob Rhodes.
She leaves behind many loved friends and family members: Her brothers Stephen, David, and Peter, and her sister Valerie; her sisters-in-law Jamie, Carol, and Julia. She also leaves her nieces Addie, Sarah, Hannah, Rachel, Kate, and Francesca, her nephews John and Andrew, great-nieces Harper and Samantha and great-nephews Riley, Sterling, and Oliver. She leaves her Aunt Katie and many beloved cousins with whom she shared love, tears, and laughter. She leaves her former sister-in-law Teri, and her husband Tom, from whom she took great comfort. She leaves many friends from all corners of her life, and especially Laura Short and Laura Gage.
