{"id":109182,"date":"2025-07-18T16:59:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T08:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.law.cuhk.edu.hk\/app\/?p=109182"},"modified":"2025-09-04T16:31:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T08:31:31","slug":"with-heartfelt-remembrance-professor-peter-frederick-rhodes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.law.cuhk.edu.hk\/app\/with-heartfelt-remembrance-professor-peter-frederick-rhodes\/","title":{"rendered":"With Heartfelt Remembrance: Professor Peter Frederick Rhodes"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

With Heartfelt Remembrance: Professor Peter Frederick Rhodes<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

We deeply mourn the passing of Professor Peter Frederick Rhodes, a dearly valued member of the CUHK LAW community, whose unwavering dedication to legal education and professional development has left a profound and lasting impact.<\/p>

Professor Rhodes served as Professor of Practice in Law and Professional Consultant at CUHK LAW for close to two decades, until his recent retirement. Prior to that, his distinguished career spanned continents and decades, and was marked by a deep commitment to nurturing future generations of legal professionals. He led professional development efforts at leading law firms across New Zealand, Hong Kong, and the United States, bringing with him a global outlook and an abiding passion for excellence in legal training. He also taught at universities in Canada, the United States, and Hong Kong, and served with distinction as Dean of the Faculty of Law at The University of Hong Kong for several years.<\/p>

At CUHK LAW, Professor Rhodes was cherished for his generosity of spirit, practical wisdom, and devotion to teaching. Among his most enduring contributions was his wholehearted support of student mooting. He was a tireless and beloved coach, mentor, and guide to CUHK LAW\u2019s moot teams, preparing them with care and conviction for international competitions. His clarity of thought, unfailing encouragement, and quiet confidence in his students enabled them to flourish on the world stage. Many remember his coaching not only as a formative part of their legal education, but as an experience that shaped their growth as advocates and individuals.<\/p>

Peter was more than a teacher or colleague \u2014 he was a mentor, a leader, and a friend. His warmth, kindness, and integrity touched all who had the privilege of knowing him. His legacy lives on in the many students and colleagues he inspired, and in the values he lived and taught by. He will be dearly missed, and fondly remembered.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEulogy and Tribute Remarks by the Rhodes Family<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMrs Connie Rhodes<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Let me tell you about my last morning with Peter.\u00a0 We had spent the night at Sopa Lodge in the Tarangire\u00a0National Park of Tanzania.\u00a0 We woke before the alarm clock as we planned an early start to the day.\u00a0 I popped my head out the door of our room, which was on the second floor, to check the outside temperature.\u00a0 Well, it didn\u2019t matter what the outside temperature was, for there in front of me was a group of seven elephants ambling along with their slow and unhurried pace.\u00a0 Our lodge was unfenced, and animals could come and go at will.\u00a0 This group of elephants were enjoying eating the tree leaves as they passed by.<\/p>

I turned back to the room and said to Peter \u201cCome quickly and see what is here!\u201d \u00a0He did, with phone in hand.\u00a0 That was typical Peter, always prepared!\u00a0 He was amazed at the proximity of these magnificent animals.\u00a0 The group included two little ones, carefully chaperoned by their elders.\u00a0 The light was special, that moment when darkness becomes dawn.\u00a0 We watched them in silence.<\/p>

When we returned to our room. Peter sent the pictures to our family so they could share in his enjoyment. \u00a0<\/p>

Spotting that group of elephants was a wonderful piece of serendipity.\u00a0 In the days since, as I have reflected on my life with Peter, I realized that this moment provided an ideal anecdote to highlight to you some of Peter\u2019s best qualities.<\/p>

That morning was reflective of a typical start to a day with Peter.\u00a0 He was always interested in what lay ahead and enthusiastic about new experiences.\u00a0 He was curious about everything and took every opportunity to learn through reading and travel.\u00a0 He always liked to share his joy and wisdom with others. \u00a0These character traits that Peter exhibited on that last morning and over the 50+ years we spent together, define him.<\/p>

These qualities of Peter\u2019s are reflected in his passion to learn and his boundless curiosity.\u00a0 You will never imagine the topic of the last book he read before we flew to Tanzania.\u00a0 The title was \u201cA Training School for Elephants\u201d by Sophy Roberts.\u00a0 This book told the story of a forgotten colonial project from 1879, which involved \u00a0transporting trained Indian elephants to East Africa to work.\u00a0 The venture failed.\u00a0 I must wonder though, how and where did he find this niche book?\u00a0 I knew he enjoyed it immensely as he kept telling me how the story developed!\u00a0 He was a believer in the phrase:\u00a0 Truth is often stranger than fiction.<\/p>

Many tributes to Peter have commented on his endless energy for travel and his desire to expand his awareness initially from his reading and whenever possible by seeing the world first hand.\u00a0 His lifelong passion for travel led to our elephant encounter but was also pivotal to our meeting in the first place.<\/p>

\u00a0I first met Peter, who by then had emigrated to Canada from New Zealand, at a New Year\u2019s Eve party in Saskatoon on December 31, 1973.\u00a0 Little did I know that, that chance encounter would lead to more than 50 years of being with this special guy. \u00a0I must acknowledge, I did notice that he was also good-looking and had an intriguing mix of a British\/Kiwi accent.<\/p>

We hit it off straight away.\u00a0 A year or two later he had earned an academic sabbatical from his position at the University of Saskatchewan.\u00a0 He convinced me to move to his hometown, Hong Kong, in 1979.\u00a0 \u201cJust for 2 years\u201d he said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He relished being in Hong Kong as an adult for many reasons.\u00a0 \u00a0Hong Kong was home to him for his first 17 years and his last 45, give or take.\u00a0 He had, and we now have, family memories and history here. \u00a0\u00a0With his inquisitive nature, he thrived.\u00a0 And, of course, Hong Kong is well-positioned for indulging his favourite hobby \u2013 travel!\u00a0<\/p>

Peter was an integral part of the journeys of thousands of lawyers during his more than 4 decades as part of the Hong Kong legal community.\u00a0 \u00a0He was an intelligent and accomplished person himself, but he felt happiest knowing he had contributed to the success of others.\u00a0 In a city like Hong Kong, he loved that no matter where he went, he would frequently bump into former students.\u00a0 He loved listening to their experiences post Law School.<\/p>

While Peter had a varied and challenging professional career, I think his final position at CUHK Law was Peter at his best.\u00a0 It was purely by chance that Mike McConville, the first dean of CUHK Law, said to Peter, \u201cYou have joined mid-way through the first term, let\u2019s ease you into things.\u00a0 How about coaching our first Vis Moot team.\u201d \u00a0It was a perfect fit for Peter.\u00a0 He was so proud of what would become 18 generations of his Vis family and for all they achieved in the competition, but more so for the community they formed and the values they shared.<\/p>

Last, I want to give special emphasis to Peter\u2019s love for our family.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Graham and Jean exceeded Peter\u2019s expectations in their academic endeavours, and he was so proud of their achievements.\u00a0\u00a0 Every day he would nudge me to Whatsapp or call one of them just to see what they were doing.\u00a0 He also enjoyed hearing the latest achievements of our grandchildren.<\/p>

With Peter\u2019s retirement, we had plans and thought we had time to do all those things that had been put off or postponed.\u00a0 It was not to be.<\/p>

May I now ask you to take a moment and remember Peter as a man who lived life to the fullest, who took advantage of opportunities that arose and who, most of all, enjoyed being with his family and friends.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGraham Rhodes<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

If we lost him too soon, we can at least say that he went out in full stride<\/u>.<\/p>\n

His mind was as sharp as ever, and in his last weeks, he wrapped up a fifty-five-year career with heartfelt tributes from his colleagues and students.<\/p>\n

He visited mainland China with his eldest grandson.<\/p>\n

And when he died suddenly of a heart attack or a stroke, he was on safari in Tanzania with my mother and two dear friends, enjoying a trip he\u2019d planned for months.<\/p>\n

His last message to me, from earlier that day, was to share photos of a herd of elephants that had walked past their breakfast.<\/p>\n

He was happy, excited and at his best.<\/p>\n

His end was quick and relatively painless.<\/p>\n

Trust me when I say that he would have appreciated the poetry of dying in a dusty corner of the old British Empire.<\/p>\n

Or that there would be a twinkle in his eye if he could tell you that he was cremated at a Hindu crematorium under the watchful gaze of Lord Shiva.<\/p>\n

He would have been proud to see his two children fly halfway around the world at a moment\u2019s notice, without hesitation or diffidence, to be there for him and our mother at their hour of need.<\/p>\n

And he would have commended my sister, also a lawyer, who shouldered the paperwork and bureaucracy needed to expedite his return home.<\/p>\n

But I think Pete would be surprised to see us all here today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He was nothing if not modest.<\/p>\n

He never promoted himself or trumpeted his achievements.<\/p>\n

And he certainly would have been too shy to call for a public memorial.<\/p>\n

If you asked him about his professional success, the generations of lawyers he trained or the countless young lives he set in motion, he would probably just shrug his shoulders.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A gentle giant, he\u2019d cast his eyes downward, shuffle a little on his feet and say, \u201cAw yeah. I was just an ordinary bloke, doing my job. Nothing special\u201d.<\/p>\n

He was not ordinary, however.<\/p>\n

He was himself and that was enough.<\/p>\n

To do justice to my father, let me sketch three things: the outline of his life, the qualities that defined it, and my reflections as his son.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This, then, was his life.<\/p>\n

Peter Frederick Rhodes was born in 1948 at St. Theresa\u2019s Hospital in Kowloon City, the first child of George Frederick Rhodes and Patricia Anne Blythe.<\/strong><\/p>\n

His father escaped rural poverty in England through service in the Grenadier Guards and then as a policeman in Shanghai\u2019s International Settlement.<\/p>\n

His mother came from a Chinese family that rose through colonial society by converting to Christianity and learning English.<\/p>\n

They met in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Shanghai, where they were interned during the Second World War.<\/p>\n

When that war ended and the Chinese Civil War resumed, they escaped to the sanctity of Hong Kong, like millions of others, to begin anew.<\/p>\n

My grandfather became Head of Security at Wharf, securing a middle-class life for my dad and his younger brother, Michael.<\/p>\n

They grew up between English colonial traditions, Chinese aunts and uncles, and a dizzying constellation of my grandparents\u2019 friends and social events.<\/p>\n

In 1956, at the encouragement of one of my grandfather\u2019s Masonic brothers, the family travelled to New Zealand for several months of long leave.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They must have liked what they saw because in 1958, they sent my dad to Auckland to attend boarding school.<\/p>\n

Pete embraced New Zealand and all it had to offer: rugby, mateship and 1960s rock\u2019n\u2019roll<\/u>.<\/p>\n

He studied hard and performed well, but weak grades in math and the sciences left him with only one viable option for a professional career:   the law<\/u>.<\/p>\n

And so it was at Auckland University Law School that Pete found his   metier<\/u>.<\/p>\n

By the time he left New Zealand in 1971, being a Kiwi had become core to his identity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He was immensely proud of his Kiwi connection and always wore it on his sleeve.<\/p>\n

He was no longer Peter Rhodes from Hong Kong; he was Peter Rhodes   from New Zealand<\/u>.<\/p>\n

He went to Canada on a government scholarship to teach in Manitoba at a time when Canadian Law Schools were expanding and looking for talent.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By his account, though, his first year was a disaster.<\/p>\n

He received awful reviews from his students.<\/p>\n

Determined that it would never happen again, he knuckled down and taught himself how to teach.<\/p>\n

It was then that Pete found his   vocation<\/u>.<\/p>\n

He settled in Saskatchewan and earned his tenure in 1977.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He met my mother, and they were married in 1978 in the backyard of their newly purchased home, a happy and handsome couple, surrounded by friends and family.<\/p>\n

Life might have continued in Saskatoon if not for an ad my dad saw calling for legal scholars to join the newly elevated School of Law at Hong Kong University.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

And so, by pure serendipity, in late 1978, Peter Rhodes from Hong Kong and then from New Zealand, came back to Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

Of course, Hong Kong was a different place by then.<\/p>\n

\u2018Reform and Opening\u2019 was underway, and Hong Kong was on the cusp of a historic boom in trade and services.<\/p>\n

It would soon face a reckoning too, as Britain renegotiated the colony\u2019s relationship with Beijing.<\/p>\n

In short, Hong Kong was going to need a lot more lawyers.<\/u><\/p>\n

That made HKU\u2019s Law School, Hong Kong\u2019s only law school at that time, of central and growing importance.<\/p>\n

Pete fit right in. In fact, he excelled.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1982, HKU sent him to Harvard for an LLM, cementing his credentials and the Law School\u2019s international credibility.  <\/p>\n

I have my own debt to Harvard: if you do the math, I was born about ten months after my dad graduated.<\/p>\n

In 1987, my dad was elected by his peers to be Dean of the recently created Faculty of Law.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

He was just thirty-nine years old, two years younger than I am today.  <\/p>\n

He widened who taught and studied the law, gave colleagues room to speak, and stood by them when they ruffled feathers.<\/p>\n

My sister was born in 1990, completing our family of four.  <\/p>\n

He returned to teaching in 1993 after two terms as Dean, and in 1996 made the bold decision to move our family to New Zealand.<\/p>\n

It was entirely out of character for Pete to leave the security and familiarity of HKU without even a job to go to.  <\/p>\n

But he did it, and we followed.<\/p>\n

Hong Kong wasn\u2019t done with him, though.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2001, a British law firm tapped my dad to be their regional training manager, essentially making him a teacher to practising lawyers.  <\/p>\n

His sojourn in the private sector took him around Asia and even to San Francisco for a year.<\/p>\n

When CUHK established its School of Law in 2006, Pete seized the opportunity to come home.  <\/p>\n

His role as a Professional Consultant was a perfect fit, allowing him to dedicate himself to teaching and, by pure serendipity again, to coaching the Vis Moot.<\/p>\n

He spent almost two decades here and, in spirit, died with his boots on.<\/p>\n

Now, how about the man himself?  <\/strong><\/p>\n

During the COVID lockdowns, I asked my parents to complete a \u2018Grandparents\u2019 Memoir\u2019 for their firstborn grandchild.  <\/p>\n

Pete\u2019s response to one question stood out to me.  <\/p>\n

Asked what traits he inherited from his parents, he wrote:  \u201cMy father had a great sense of adventure. My mother was stubborn. I guess I became a stubborn person with a great sense of adventure\u201d.<\/p>\n

Gregor Mendel would have approved.<\/p>\n

There was a wry, playful side to Pete you might have seen once you got to know him.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

He loved a silly hat, a quirky street sign, or an over-the-top slice of Americana, especially if it was sweet and served with ice cream.<\/p>\n

He had his rituals, like eating Sachertorte and pork knuckle in Vienna, or a shave and a haircut at his Shanghai Barbershop in TST.  <\/p>\n

His favourite pastime was turning on CNN to exercise his moral outrage.<\/p>\n

Oddly enough, we never spoke much about his work.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

I have learned more about his career in the last month through your tributes than in a lifetime at home.<\/p>\n

What shines through is how he built people as much as he taught arguments.<\/p>\n

He remembered your stories, took pride in your wins and made you feel like you belonged.<\/p>\n

Small acts of kindness became the touchstones of lifelong friendships.<\/p>\n

My dad taught the law in plain English.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ordinary man on the Shau Kei Wan tram.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustice demands,\u201d with a raised finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeep pockets,\u201d with a pat on the trousers.<\/p>\n

He began tutorials with the news of the day and kept the pace steady so everyone could follow.<\/p>\n

He prepared rather than performed.<\/p>\n

Pete loved coaching because it multiplied good.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He called you his Vis Family, deliberately big so more people could be lifted by the experience.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve spoken of Wednesday nights with drafts marked up, his patience and high standards.<\/p>\n

Or him and Connie celebrating your milestones with a barbecue and carrot cake.<\/p>\n

Pete believed in all of you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He lent you his confidence until you found your own.<\/p>\n

That is why you still hear his voice, why you still quote his phrases and why you still stand on his shoulders.<\/p>\n

Colleagues saw the same man: honest, modest, organised; the opposite of a grandstander.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He spoke when it mattered and then he did the work.<\/p>\n

They remember his desk at day\u2019s end, clear of paper.<\/p>\n

That tells you something.<\/p>\n

If you measure a life by work, relationships and integrity, my dad did well.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The secret to his success was simple: he made his achievements your achievements.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think that is as high a compliment as one can offer a teacher.<\/p>\n

In Tanzania, when we were bringing him home, a mural caught my eye: \u201cIf you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.\u201d<\/p>\n

If my father went far, it is because he went together with you.<\/p>\n

My reflections.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It took me thirty-six years to reach the age my dad was when I was born.  <\/p>\n

Time and becoming a father myself have helped me see our relationship more clearly.<\/p>\n

People express love in different ways: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service and physical touch.<\/p>\n

For us, his family, it was gifts and acts of service.  We never went without.  We travelled the world.  We were educated well.  We could always count on him in a crisis.<\/p>\n

For you, his students, it was quality time.  <\/p>\n

We envied that time.<\/p>\n

As a child, I don\u2019t remember spending much of it with him.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

His predictable work hours allowed him to play sports most nights and weekends.  <\/p>\n

He\u2019d run with friends, come home soaked in sweat and eat dinner in front of the TV.<\/p>\n

I remember trying on his running shoes once for fun.  <\/p>\n

They were such big shoes.  <\/p>\n

He was such a big man.<\/p>\n

Pete idolised his father and his adventures in China.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

My grandfather was his hero, sparking his love of history and faraway lands.<\/p>\n

For my dad was a shy man, and he made his best friends in the books he read: the Kings and Generals; Adventurers and Conquerors.  Natural Leaders.  Great Men.  Successful Men.  <\/p>\n

Is it any wonder, therefore, that he inspired my sister and me to think so high?  <\/p>\n

Is it any surprise that we felt a struggle to live up to him, or to be worthy of his attention?<\/p>\n

Books paint two-dimensional portraits.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Real life is messier, more complex and, in the end, more beautiful for it.  <\/p>\n

Greatness comes at a price.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to take your father off the pedestal and see him as a man.<\/strong><\/p>\n

His care could feel like control.<\/p>\n

His consistency could become rigidity.<\/p>\n

He thought he was invincible until he wasn\u2019t.  <\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also as a man that I begin to understand my dad\u2019s true strengths.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

His kindness, loyalty, devotion, generosity and patience.  <\/p>\n

His love for us.  <\/p>\n

Those are the qualities of a real-life, flesh-and-blood Great Man.  <\/p>\n

Out of the blue, my eldest son Austen asked me recently about death and dying.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

It made me think about conversations with my dad on this subject.  <\/p>\n

He was stoic about what lies ahead for us all.<\/p>\n

He might have answered that we have but this one life, so live it well.<\/p>\n

Pete grew nostalgic as he grew older, preferring to relive the adventures of his past.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps that was how he accepted his mortality.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve wept imagining his final moments.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

What were they like for him, as that long black cloud came down?  <\/p>\n

His last breaths.  His final urges.  <\/p>\n

What did you see, Peter Rhodes?  Who did you call out to?  Were you scared?  Was anyone waiting for you?<\/p>\n

I hope you found peace.<\/p>\n

Let me conclude by saying what is evident in this room.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My father\u2019s life is braided with yours.<\/p>\n

He found joy in his work and built communities that lasted.<\/p>\n

The city of Hong Kong and the institutions he served are better for it, but the proof is in you, his colleagues and his students.<\/p>\n

He made you feel seen, he taught you how to carry yourselves and inspired you to excel.<\/p>\n

The best way to honour my father is to keep his virtues alive.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speak plainly.<\/p>\n

Make room at the table.<\/p>\n

Prepare rather than perform.<\/p>\n

Finish what you start.<\/p>\n

And believe in someone a little earlier than they believe in themselves.<\/p>\n

Thank you for standing with us today and for the years you stood with him.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is not a farewell.<\/p>\n

Grief does not culminate and disappear.<\/p>\n

We will carry it forever.<\/p>\n

Our love for him will not die.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJean Rhodes<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

My father always said he felt like he had won the lottery of life \u2013 for a loving family, for a career that was really a calling, to have Hong Kong as his hometown, and for all the opportunities he had to pursue his interests and see the world.\u00a0 I think all attending would agree with me that in fact we also won the lottery of life for spending our days in the company of my Baba, Peter Frederick Rhodes.\u00a0<\/p>

I appreciate you all for being with my mum, brother, and I (in person or virtually) to honour Baba.\u00a0 The three of us knew he was quite admired and appreciated, but the significant outpouring of support we have received in the days after his passing has been deeply moving.\u00a0 I thought perhaps I was just like many children who felt like their Baba was a towering figure who held up the sky, but I know with certainty now that this was not an impression of Peter limited to Graham or I, that countless students and friends saw him like this too.\u00a0 In a moment of profound shock and loss, knowing that so many saw how exceptional and generous in spirit a man Peter was and who share in our grief has been a solace.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>

\u2013<\/p>

Turning to my reflections, I have struggled to distill this because my Baba was a multi-faceted man, but I have rather limited time.\u00a0 I\u2019ll warn y\u2019all as much as my Baba preached it, Graham and I still struggle with punctuality so I may go a touch longer.<\/p>

My mum constantly says they broke the mold when they made Peter Rhodes \u2013 and it is true!\u00a0 Baba was completely one of a kind.\u00a0 I am sure others will speak better to his professional contributions so I hope to give y\u2019all a glimpse into moments and qualities I especially treasure as Peter\u2019s daughter.<\/p>

Perhaps it\u2019s appropriate to imagine Baba as a set of legal scales.\u00a0 Somehow he was able to contain and balance many different elements in his personality and life alongside significant responsibilities. For example, I was still tossing around names for my younger dog the week before he came home and of course I rang my parents for thoughts.\u00a0 Though not themselves real dog people, they immediately began earnestly brainstorming.\u00a0 Suddenly Baba suggested \u201cMonty\u201d.\u00a0 It suited my little boy perfectly and so he was named Monty Peregrine Frederick Rhodes!\u00a0 Later though I\u2019d overhear Baba talking to my dogs about their walks and asking if they\u2019d seen anything interesting, how the weather was and so on and I started to notice he would greet Monty as \u201cMy dear Montgomery<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 I realized he had secretly named my funny and mischievous puppy after the famed English WW2 Field Marshall, Bernard Montgomery (\u201cMonty\u201d), who had repelled the German troops in Egypt and stopped their sweep across North Africa!\u00a0 In his own way Baba had supported me and my love of dogs, and had created a link to our shared passion for history.\u00a0 He had managed, as he always did, to draw in unexpected connections to bring disparate ideas and interests together.\u00a0 He refused to be hemmed in by any particular conventions.\u00a0 Why shouldn\u2019t naming a little puppy also allow us to remember family trips to the tank battlefields of El Alamein and pay homage to great leaders.\u00a0<\/p>

While the story of naming Monty is a bit of a silly anecdote on this point, I am confident his students have many similar quips, just as I later would, when I joined the legal profession myself, of Baba\u2019s singular ability to bring complex concepts into the everyday and expand the meaning of the ordinary.\u00a0 He really believed being a lawyer is a privilege and a responsibility.\u00a0 Baba repeatedly sought to remind me and his students of this and the relevance of our knowledge in the everyday.\u00a0 Studying torts or business transactions didn\u2019t have to be relegated to dusty cases that felt convoluted and untethered from reality.\u00a0 Instead he tied ideas like \u201cproximate cause\u201d to common instances, like running hypotheticals with me after a few near misses with aggressive Atlanta drivers.\u00a0 More broadly he showed how legal knowledge was transportable and it was more about learning how to think and have the mental nimbleness to apply concepts.\u00a0 Baba made far off things animated and salient, be it history or legal concepts.\u00a0 If one was properly paying attention, he often used these moments of concrete questions as vehicles to impart more important lessons about what type of person or lawyer one should strive to be.\u00a0<\/p>

On a similar point, there were moments I struggled as I advanced as a junior at a US firm to find the right tone to lead calls and hold counterparties to our agenda, but in an authentic manner, because the American style of negotiation and positioning arguments can be quite different.\u00a0 Once I found myself sharing this with Baba and he listened patiently.\u00a0 He told me gently I would find the right approach.\u00a0 Though he could now speak for hours with no notes, in all settings, and feel comfortable answering unexpected queries \u2013 he confided he had actually received abysmal evaluations in his first term as a professor.\u00a0 He was very disappointed, he recalled, but the experience made him determined to improve and become the best version of himself in this role for his students.\u00a0 Those reviews became inconsequential over time, but what endured in the long run was learning to be wise enough to see a chance to grow, acknowledge and work at what mattered, be humble enough to seek advice and open to new outlooks and ways.\u00a0 Ultimately we all know that that first setback did not define Baba, he became an outstanding teacher \u2013 in fact he would even win top awards for it!\u00a0 He would remind me that very few people are naturally brilliant at anything, but one can become so.\u00a0 He reassured me that with time, a good attitude, and a willingness to extend myself a bit I would be able to reflect my ideas to third parties effectively and adapt to meet the situation.\u00a0<\/p>

Of course, there was a bigger life lesson there.<\/p>

My Baba recognized the talent in everyone around him and constantly sought to support others to realize their potential. Graham and I were no different.\u00a0 He believed we were capable of much more than we envisioned for ourselves.\u00a0 Like many good Hong Kong parents he (strongly) encouraged us to reach for excellence and not be complacent about drifting.\u00a0 Every major achievement I\u2019ve enjoyed I credit to my parents\u2019 guidance and support.\u00a0 Baba was so accomplished, but I truly believe he felt most joy helping others find success and fulfill their dreams.\u00a0 He was quick to offer help.\u00a0 He thought doing the right thing was not always the easy thing, but that that should not be a deterrent.<\/p>

Though we lived far apart, Baba was always a huge and constant presence in my life.\u00a0 He found ways to be there for me from afar.\u00a0 He had such a dynamic personality and he was in my thoughts, but also the fabric of my day from when I was young; via biweekly phone card calls and regular letters that with technology became countless emails, whatsapps, and phone calls (I have boxes of letters to increasing (and increasing) my online storage for his latest \u201cfrom the archives\u201d musings).\u00a0 My own references and sense of the world\u2019s promise is so influenced by our correspondence and conversations.\u00a0<\/p>

Others have commented on Baba\u2019s love of travel, but I would like you to remember that many of his voyages occurred in his mind as he read voraciously and loved to talk with others.\u00a0 Perhaps it takes a bit more intention or effort, but he very much showed that one didn\u2019t have to wait or permanently be on a plane to broaden one\u2019s viewpoint and perspective.\u00a0 I remember one Christmas Eve ringing him to realize he was in his study very late.\u00a0 When I asked why he said Jean darling my latest reading is too heavy to even hold. I need my desk!\u00a0 The title was the \u201cBloody Streets of Berlin<\/em>\u201d \u2013 a very typical sort of light holiday read, right?\u00a0 When I did a quick scan of our recent messages I see:<\/p>