Rod Loveless

We are very sad to record that Rod Loveless passed away on the evening of Thursday April 17. Rod was a truly remarkable man whose impact on the region and on Decatur Island will be experienced and appreciated for many years to come. 

Most notable for our island perhaps, have been the creation of the Decatur Head community and the Decatur Nine golf course. If Rod had a project, his commitment and deep engagement were certain. In establishing Decatur Head, he played a leading role in designing and building the cabins. Then, with many other projects on the mainland and the island behind him, he completed construction of his own cabin on the eastern bluff. 

Now ready for a new challenge, he decided that his family’s property, though mainly forested, would make a fine golf course. He acquired an additional piece of land and started work with saw, axe and backhoe, drawing friends and neighbors into the project when he could. Over the years he refined and extended the course, and even started work on the back nine. A group of islanders helped care for the course, finalized the current nine-hole layout, and took over the annual tournament that Rod had instituted. The Rod Loveless Wide Open and Potluck has become a much-loved island tradition that draws hundreds on the July 4th weekend. 

We are extraordinarily fortunate that the Loveless family has permitted the community to continue to use the course. A growing group of volunteers works hard to manage and maintain this precious resource.

We remember Rod with enormous affection, admiration, and gratitude. The family plans to hold a memorial event on the island this summer.