Rhoda Strickland, 1969-2006
 

It is with incredible sadness that I must announce the death of Rhoda, my former fiance and the former First Lady of the Bosque. She was known here on Cellar as LadySycamore. She passed away Monday due to apparent complications from renal failure, aged 37. She had been sick since early 2001.

In spite of everything that happened with us, I still loved Rhoda a great deal, and always will. I hope that she now has the peace that she could never find while on this earth.

Rest in peace...

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You have my condolences and *loving and healing energy to all who love her and her loved ones*

:mecry:

I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope she is at peace too.

I'm sorry man.

I'm sorry.

When I first joined the Cellar I spent quite a while browsing the archives, so Lady Sycamore is a name I recognise.

I'm very sorry to hear of her death at such an early age. My thoughts and sympathy to you and all who are mourning her.

Man, that SUCKS. I had a nice rap going with Lady Syc during the first CMEP - she really liked my picks. She was very frank and genuine and knew how to enjoy life. That hers was taken away is truly unfortunate.

Syc - I am seriously bummed and offer my most sincere condolences. She was a damn good Cellar Dwellar and I think about her whenever I play that CD. She was already missed but now it hurts.

So sorry to hear that, Sycamore. My condolences to you and all that love her.

:cry: It sucks is what. The times I knew her she was a very nice and genuine person, fighting a battle a person should not have to fight. My sincerest condolences, the world is a little sadder this morning.

What a shame - so young. Her name is all over around here. You have my sympathy.

I sincerely hope she finds peace wherever she is now. Remember the good times and her legacy will live. I'm so very sorry for your loss.

:cry: I remember meeting her at UT's birthday party... Even then it seemed the medical isues were becoming overwhelming.

I am so sorry for everyone's loss. I remember the name from when I first started lurking.

Syc, I'm so sorry to hear this. Rhoda was always a no-bullshit lady here on The Cellar, and her infrequent but always candid posts were one of the highlights of this place for me early on. She fought a brave battle. Peace to her spirit, man...and comfort to yours.

that sucks. freed from her failing body, having embarked on the greatest adventure of all, I trust that she is content in having been a genuinely good spirited person. Words fail.

I'm sorry to hear that Syc. She was a brave soul and I liked her.

Sending you peace.

I remember her and liked her.


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may she live on in the people she knew and reached here on The Cellar.

As some of you may recall, we lived in DC for a year. One Saturday afternoon, we were at a McDonald's having lunch..."Got to Get You Into My Life" by the Beatles was playing over the restaurant's music system.

Rhoda says, "I don't like this version...I like the original one better."

I didn't want to make her feel stupid, so I asked her, "Who does the original version?"

She replied, "Earth, Wind and Fire."

I laughed and replied, "I'm not trying to be mean, sweetie, but this is the original version we're listening to...it's a Beatles song. Earth, Wind & Fire did a cover version of it for the Sgt. Pepper's movie.

She did her little bourgeois thing where she kinda turned up her nose and did a little "Hmph!" and said, "Well, I like the Earth, Wind & Fire version better!" :)

I'm so very sorry to hear about this, syc. My condolences. :(

I liked LadySycamore, and have missed her these past few years. This news sucks. I'm sorry for you, Sycamore.

My condolences as well, Sycamore. You posted a lovely picture of her. She's off to a better place, wherever that my be for her. :::virtual bear hug:::

Sycamore I am really sorry to hear about Rhoda. She was great and a part of what made me want to stick around the cellar. I don't really know what to say. She was great.

Syc, that is very sad news. I'm sorry that you've lost a good friend.

A woman of excellent taste.

So sorry to hear this sad news... I always enjoyed her posts here at the Cellar and I always knew she'd be a super person IRL.

The good... they die young. May she rest in peace.

That's the only picture of herself she liked. :sniff:

I’d like to thank all of you for your kind words. I think Rhoda would be genuinely surprised to know how much love she has here.

The only information I have at this time is that her wake is at 11am on Tuesday December 19th, with the funeral to follow at noon at:

March Funeral Home
4300 Wabash Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21215
(410) 542-2400

As much as I want to be there, I don’t think it would be appropriate, and I don’t want to disrespect Rhoda on her day. Flowers are nice and all, but I also suggest donating in her name to some of her favorite causes:

National Kidney Foundation
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association

Also, please keep Rhoda’s mom in your thoughts and prayers. Mrs. Strickland just lost her husband two weeks ago and now has to bury her only child. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this must be for her.

Peace,

Sycamore

Man that sucks WAAAAY bad !!!
Sorry for the loss , Sorrry for her moms loss !!
Classy of you to keep in touch after the break up !!!
Good Man !!!

Uh oh...let me apologize if I have unintentionally misrepresented things.

The last time Rhoda and I spoke on the phone was November 2005. She popped up on the Bosque just after the 1st of the year, but I hadn't heard from her since. After 6 years and a messy breakup, I needed some space. Her childhood friend Thomas found me on MySpace yesterday and gave me the news.

She had been crossing my mind quite a bit recently. I have a box of her stuff that I've been meaning to send back to her for the longest time. I just moved into my own place last week, and was finally going to mail it out this week when I got the news. I'll send it to her mom after the holidays.

My emotions have been all over the map since I found out. I spent 20% of my life with this woman...lived with her, loved her, shared a bed with her, shared great highs and great lows with her. I can't believe that she's really gone.

Again, I apologize for any misrepresentation I may have committed. I assure you that it was completely unintentional.

I think most of us knew, no apology necessary. She was a good woman and you're still a good man. peace bro

Extremely sad
 

I knew Rhoda in the late 80's - early 90's. She picked me up for drives when I didn't have a car, living quite a distance away...and we chatted about everything and anything.

We lost touch and I eventually moved to London.

She will always remain in my heart and in my mind. Both are heavy with sadness and regret.

Peace to you, Rhoda.

Love,

Scott

Sycamore, you have most heartfelt sympathy. I can only imagine how bizarre this must feel for you right now, having spent so much of your life with Lady Sycamore.

X Dana

Welcome to the Cellar, Bearfeet. Sorry you had to come here under such sad circumstances, but please come back again. :(

Syc, all of us here who know you know that there's no picnic, no guarantee, no holier than thou in life. What is important is that you took the time to share news with us about someone we all had in common; someone whom we all took to our hearts, as you did in your time with Rhoda.

No harm, no foul. We were all blessed her time here, and with yours. I hope you can find your way back here a little more often sometime soon, and share with us where your life is heading now.

I am very sorry for your loss.

We have lost too many good people lately. and clearly she was one of them.

A eulogy
 

We tend to say that someone died too young or too soon when they die before age 50 or so. And I know that it has been said in the case of Rhoda's recent passing.

But we merely do that for convenience and comfort. We don't like to think that God would take someone from us so young or subject them to an incredible amount of pain and suffering. But the Lord works in mysterious ways, and I think He has a specific plan for each of us...He just gives us some leeway to make our own choices.

I'm not sure what Rhoda's exact purpose on this Earth was...only God knows that. But each of us had our own unique experience with her. Rhoda inspired me to move halfway across a country, taught me about African-American culture and thinking and was with me when I took my first steps in an ocean. She put up with all my bullshit for 6 years and was one of the few people on this Earth who truly understood me. Though I disagree with the way she handled her illness, she dealt with it on her own terms...it was the last thing she felt she controlled in her life.

Unfortunately, I had almost no contact with her during the last year of her life, and from what I've heard, she suffered a great deal. But she will suffer no more. I am sure that she is looking down on us today with her dad, her brother and all her relatives and friends that got up there first.

Though Rhoda and I were not meant to be life partners, I still love her a great deal, and always will. I want to say that she was taken from us too soon, but I know better...and Heaven is probably a way cooler place than Earth.

I love you, Kitty...and I'm glad you're finally at peace.

Tragic. I feel so badly for Rho's mom. Thaks for letting us know Syc, I'll send her a card.

Words just aren't enough Syc. thanks for letting us know.

I'm very sorry for your loss, Syc & those who loved her. May you find peace and healing with her memory.

Sycamore, I am so sorry for your loss. I remember Rho from the first days of my lurking here. You and her were two of my favorite people on the cellar. I remember her position as one of the only solid voices in the middle of a flame war...she never seemed to get sucked into the emotional cluster that often ensued. I was sad when she left the cellar, and now, I am very sad to know I will never read another one of her witty remarks.

I was proud that she enjoyed my CMEP CD the first round (late 2003, I think?) She was a lady of great taste, so I was flattered.