Rodney Clark Rhines
March 21, 1972 ~ December 31, 2018
Rodney C. Rhines, loving husband to Lani and father to Owen, Elliot and Samuel, passed away on Monday, December 31, 2018 at age 46 due to injuries sustained in a car accident a few days earlier.
Rod was born in California, and graduated UCSB as valedictorian of his class. He served as a Navy SEAL from 1990-95, earning a Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Valor Distinguishing Device. Rod was COO at Davies Communications when he felt the call to return to service after 9/11. He played a special role in counterterrorism operations at the CIA as part of the Agency’s elite Special Activities Division, Ground Branch. In 2009, Rod earned an MBA at the Wharton School and transitioned his career into advanced technologies at Palantir, where he helped build the defense and disaster response businesses.
Rod modeled how to live life fully, and most often expressed his passion for life-long learning through travel, study and the outdoors. He kayaked whitewaters, climbed peaks and glaciers, skydived, mountain-biked and loved to ride his many boards. He lived to be “a little bit better today than yesterday.”
His friends say Rod was a different breed. He loved fiercely and openly, deliberately making time to live in each moment with Lani and their three boys. Above all, Rod was deeply loyal to and protective of those he loved. Owen, Elliot and Sam were his proudest achievements.
Rod is survived by his wife and sons, his sister, Tamara, a large extended family and many more whom he considered family. A service will be held on January 19th, 2019 at St. Francis Church in Great Falls, VA at 10AM.
Rod was born in California, and graduated UCSB as valedictorian of his class. He served as a Navy SEAL from 1990-95, earning a Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Valor Distinguishing Device. Rod was COO at Davies Communications when he felt the call to return to service after 9/11. He played a special role in counterterrorism operations at the CIA as part of the Agency’s elite Special Activities Division, Ground Branch. In 2009, Rod earned an MBA at the Wharton School and transitioned his career into advanced technologies at Palantir, where he helped build the defense and disaster response businesses.
Rod modeled how to live life fully, and most often expressed his passion for life-long learning through travel, study and the outdoors. He kayaked whitewaters, climbed peaks and glaciers, skydived, mountain-biked and loved to ride his many boards. He lived to be “a little bit better today than yesterday.”
His friends say Rod was a different breed. He loved fiercely and openly, deliberately making time to live in each moment with Lani and their three boys. Above all, Rod was deeply loyal to and protective of those he loved. Owen, Elliot and Sam were his proudest achievements.
Rod is survived by his wife and sons, his sister, Tamara, a large extended family and many more whom he considered family. A service will be held on January 19th, 2019 at St. Francis Church in Great Falls, VA at 10AM.
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missing you Rod. your smile and can do attitude will always be missed. Purav, your friend from Wharton
A memorial tree was planted in memory of the decedent.