A huge crowd gathered at St Bede’s Chapel and auditorium on Easter Monday for the funeral of St Bede’s legend, John Rhoden. Former College Captain, Dux and Captain of the First XI Cricket team, graduating in 1956, John was one of the first lay teachers appointed to St Bede’s staff, serving for 44 years from memory.

The Rhoden family came to Mentone with John going straight to St Bede’s. His brother, Bill, came to Kilbreda for his first few years of school, finishing in 1950. Bill returned here for our 120 celebrations last year with his wife, Clare Knuppel. Clare is a member of another large local family, is a former Past Pupils of Distinction nominee, and finished here in 1973. Her sisters Sue (Class of 1966), Mary Ann (Class of 1968), Amanda (Class of 1969) and brother, David (Class of 1964), also attended Kilbreda.

In the early 1990s I taught John and Toni Rhoden’s daughter, Lee (Class of 1996) in the portable classrooms, which were situated near the tennis courts where the vehicle entry is now. The portables were removed at the end of the building project in 1996-7. However, during the build, with most of the centre of Kilbreda a building site, students and teachers wanting to access the portables, tennis courts and back oval, were compelled to exit via the flagpole gate and walk along Como Parade, re-entering further along at the vehicle entrance. No OHS in those days!

Damian Smith

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