Rodney "Rod" Lynn Brod

Brief History of Rodney “Rod” Lynn Brod (August 15, 1942 – December 9, 2024)

Rod was born in 1942 to Mary Elizabeth (Duerfeldt) and Ernest Edwin Brod in Nemaha County, Nebraska. He attended 1st and 2nd grades at Indian Hills Elementary in Peru, Nebraska where his mother and aunt taught. The family moved to Greeley, Colorado in 1949 where his father pursued graduate studies. This is where Rod (age 7) first met Mary Jean (age 4) while their fathers were both in graduate school. 

Rod and Mary Jean’s paths crossed again Carbondale, Illinois as both of their fathers took positions at Southern Illinois University. Rod moved to Carbondale in 1951 and soon became a big brother to his sister Lonna Sue. Rod finished public grade school and then attended 7th-12th grades at University School (an experimental school of Southern Illinois University). Rod graduated from U-High in 1960 (Mary Jean in 1963). While at U-High, Rod was in a number of choral ensembles and active in a variety of varsity sports – basketball, football, tennis, and track.

Starting at the age of 15, Rod spent many summers working at camps in Wisconsin. He taught the young boys Native American crafts, culture, dancing and singing.  He regularly danced at the Lac du Flambeau Reservation and was given the name “White Headed Eagle” by an Ojibwe elder.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in 1964 and Master’s degree in 1965 at Southern Illinois University and was in the Air Force ROTC singing squadron. He also continued to work at summer camps in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Rod and Mary Jean’s paths crossed again in the summer of 1964, and they dated for the first time when Mary Jean was home from college. Rod’s first full-time job (1965-66) was teaching 5th and 6th grade Math and Science at Western Springs, Illinois. After dating Mary Jean long-distance for two years, Rod followed her to Denver, Colorado and found a similar teaching position.

He married Mary Jean Fitzpatrick in September of 1967, and they moved to Palo Alto, California. Rod began graduate work at Stanford University and finished his PhD (Sociology of Education) in 1970. After welcoming daughter Shannon Renee, the young family moved to the Midwest where Rod began a faculty position in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. After welcoming their second daughter Stacie Erin, the family moved to Missoula in 1975. Rod became a full Professor in the Department of Sociology and was an Adjunct Professor in Education and Native American Studies at the University of Montana. Rod was known for supporting Native American students through advising, AISES, and the Kyiyo student association. He was honored and given another name “Eagle Plume” by a Blackfeet elder. 

After retiring from UM in 2003, he continued his interests in American Indian dancing and singing. He loved playing music with LeGrande Harvey and others. Besides his long-time banjo picking he took up playing the mandolin. He enjoyed being a Griz fan and spent many years as a member of the Copper Connection, a group serving athletes in a variety of sports. He was a dedicated father and grandfather who enjoyed attending many school sporting events and activities. In his retirement, Rod’s favorite morning routine was coffee and Sudoku with Mary Jean and brunch at Ruby’s Cafe. Rod was a deeply spiritual man whose ever-evolving beliefs drew on many faiths and traditions.

Rod was preceded in death by his parents Mary Elizabeth & Ernest Brod and sister Lonna Sue Akin. He was also preceded in death by his mother-in-law, Mary Virginia Fitzpatrick, with whom he formed a close bond in the eight years she lived with Rod and Mary Jean.

He is survived by Mary Jean Brod, wife of 57 years; Daughters Shannon Renee Overbay (Darrell) and Stacie Erin Brod (Franki); Grandchildren Collin Jacob Overbay (Emma), Andreus Joseph Dunn (Melanie), Maiah Wynne Overbay, Noah Fulgham Dunn, Tommy Lee Medicine Elk, Natista Dale Medicine Elk; Great-grandchildren Finley O’Brien Overbay, Esme Overbay O’Brien; and many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 21, 2024, followed by a reception. The location is Sunset Memorial Gardens, 7405 Mullan Road, Missoula, Montana. Condolences and pictures may be left at www.justcremationmt.com.