Rodney D. Middleton

Rodney D. Middleton, 59, of rural Altamont, passed away the morning of Thursday, April 22, 2021, at Freeman West in Joplin following a car accident in Labette County.

He was born on May 11, 1961, to Charles Lee and Helen Elaine (Livingston) Middleton in Newport Beach, California. As a young boy, he moved with his family to southeast Kansas, where he grew up and attended school in Mound Valley and graduated from Labette County High School in 1979.

Following high school, Rodney earned an Associate's degree from Western Oklahoma State College. He served in the United States Air Force for 21 years, retiring in 2001 as a technical sergeant. In October 2001, he began working at Power Flame, where he was currently employed.

Rodney was an active member of the Altamont Lodge #69 A.F. & A.M. and the Grand York Rite of Kansas. He held the position of Most Illustrious Grand Master of Cryptic Masons of Kansas and an elected position in the Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons of Kansas. He was currently serving as Area Deputy Grand Master of Area 10 for the Grand Lodge of Kansas and also belonged to the Mirza Shrine and various other Masonic organizations.

His greatest enjoyment was spending time with his family and friends. He especially loved his sweet little doggie, Princess. He enjoyed traveling and watching baseball, especially the Kansas City Royals. One thing any good friend knew about Rodney was how much he disliked green beans.

On May 24, 2015, Rodney and Linda Wright were united in marriage in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Survivors include:

His wife – Linda of Claremore, Oklahoma

One son – Zachary Middleton of Tulsa, Oklahoma

Three step-daughters – April Wright (Rhyon Ashley) of Euless, Texas

Brittany Wright of Owasso, Oklahoma

Tiffany Wright of Owasso, Oklahoma

His mother – Elaine Housley (Jerry) of Mound Valley, Kansas

His father – Charles Middleton (Phyllis) of Parsons, Kansas

One brother – Mark A. Middleton (Natasha) of Olathe, Kansas

One sister – Diane Davis (Doug) of Parsons, Kansas

He was preceded in death by one sister, Kim Middleton Orr.

The funeral service with Masonic Rites will be at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home of Parsons. Military honors will be presented by McConnell Air Force Base Honor Guard. Friends may call after 2:30 p.m., Monday, at the funeral home. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday, at the funeral home. A graveside committal service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the Floral Haven Cemetery in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

The funeral service can be viewed live on the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home Facebook page. For all events, social distancing guidelines will be followed, including the requirement of face masks.

Memorials are suggested to Altamont Lodge #69 A.F. & A.M. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.