Gus Rodes

Jun 12, 1932 -

Aug 20, 2021

Gus (Koustantinous Nickolas) Rodes died peacefully on Aug. 20, 2021.

He was born in St. Louis, Mo., on June 12, 1932. He was the third child of his father, Nick, born in Greece, and his mother, Lillian of St. Louis. After graduating from high school, he served in the U.S. Army for several years in Germany and France. Upon returning home, he went to Washington University in St. Louis, where he met the love of his life, Janice. They married in February 1954, and soon moved to Alaska. Gus worked on the White Alice Communication Project in Bethel, Palmer and several Alaska mountain tops. He soon started a new career working as an electronic technician for the U.S. Government, Federal Aviation Administration, retiring in 1987. After retirement, Gus returned to college and earned a paralegal certification from the University of Alaska Anchorage. He and Janice spent many summers exploring Canada and the Lower 48. Gus enjoyed driving the Alcan Highway and had a lifelong love of automobiles and enjoyed working on them.

Gus and Janice raised their five children in Fairbanks, North Pole, Palmer and Kenai, Alaska. Gus doted on his five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Life for Gus centered on his family and his family loved to listen to his stories. He suffered deeply the loss of his eldest daughter, Elizabeth in 2020. Work hard, don't take yourself or anything else too seriously, stand up for others, tell the truth, treat everyone you meet equally, keep learning, be open to change - these are the values modelled by Gus Rodes during his long life. He is survived by his wife, Janice; children, Elaine Wright (John), Nick Rodes (Barbara), Alice Bullington (Lee) and Susan Anderson (Max Evans); grandchildren, Diamonda, Alexandra (Eric), Zoe, Nick and George; great-grandchildren, Joey Gus, Aliva, Hendrix Niko, Nicky, Apollo and Nikos; nephew, Matthew (Elizabeth); niece, Michelle (Paul); sister-in-law, Beverly and their families.

A service will be held on Aug. 28, 2021, at 1 p.m., at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Anchorage.