David Rhodes passed away Saturday October 7, 2023 surrounded by his family, Katy Piumelli (his wife) and his two stepsons Nicholas Piumelli (wife Kayla) and Michael Piumelli (girlfriend Kirsten McCorry.)
He is preceded in death by his father, Frederick Rhodes, and survived by his mother Anna Marie Rhodes and brother Daniel Rhodes, of El Paso, IL.
David was born on April 28, 1967, in Bloomington, IL and raised in El Paso, IL. David’s childhood was filled with fishing, farming, and sports. He played varsity football all four years at El Paso High School and was team tri-captain. David also wrestled throughout high school and was a member of the El Paso High School Swing Choir.
David enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1986, serving on AC-130 gunships with the USAF Special Forces. He served in Desert Storm, assisted in the war on drugs in Central America with the capture of Manuel Noriega, and provided international air support for the United States. David loved his country and was proud to be an American.
After his military career, David worked in retail operations for several malls in Florida and in St. Louis, MO. Katy and David met at the Altamonte Mall in Orlando, FL in 2004 when he was the operations director and Katy the assistant store manager at the Altamonte Dillard’s.
David loved playing golf, watching his beloved University of Illinois Fightin’ Illini basketball team, as well as the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues. Sundays were dedicated to NASCAR. He was an avid cook and was referred to as “The Chef” by anyone lucky enough to enjoy his talent.
In May of this year, David was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. He fiercely took on endless bouts of surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, scans, tests, and treatments.
David fought like a warrior, all while ensuring Katy, his mom, and brother would be okay after his death.
We are forever grateful for all the nurses, doctors, and staff at the Orlando VA Medical Center, Lake Baldwin Park VA Clinic, Advent Health Orlando, and Advent Health Hospice Care in Altamonte Springs. We respect David’s wish not to have a service at this time.
“A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.” Hercules