Former Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Rhodes, whose local law enforcement career spanned 27 years, died Monday at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls. He was 79.

Rhodes started work at the Sheriff’s Office in 1963 and by 1967 was promoted to chief criminal deputy. During his time in law enforcement he was an advocate of local search and rescue efforts, and on a state level Rhodes was one of the first deputies elected to the board of directors for the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association in 1970 when a change was made to allow deputies to serve as board members along with sheriffs.

In 1982 Rhodes ran against incumbent Sheriff Al Rierson and won by a landslide, garnering 13,672 votes to Rierson’s 6,965 votes. His campaign theme, “A peace officer, not a politician,” resonated with voters. He campaigned in favor of long-range planning in the Sheriff’s Office and advocated drafting a five-year plan for outlining goals in the department.

Rhodes easily won re-election in 1986, holding back a challenge from Chief Deputy Delbert “Del” Brenneman. Rhodes declined to run again in 1990, giving an opportunity for Jim Dupont to begin his long career as sheriff when he defeated Rierson in the Republican primary and then beat Brenneman in November.

“Chuck was a good guy who wanted to do the job right,” recalled former Inter Lake law enforcement reporter JoAnn Speelman Dramer. “He wanted the law to be upheld and expected his people to do the same.”

Rhodes was known as a man who stuck to his principles. That was evident in a July 7, 1988, Associated Press story that noted how Rhodes said he was “willing to go to jail” rather than comply with a Flathead District Court order requiring him to accept juvenile prisoners at the new county jail.

Rhodes said he was “not fighting the judges but the system. The American Civil Liberties Union and the federal regulations say we cannot house juveniles with adults. Numerous court cases say they can’t be combined.

“I’m trying to protect myself, my staff and Flathead County from lawsuits,” Rhodes said.

Then-District Judge Michael Keedy was also quoted, saying “this order does not leave the option open. The sheriff had said he’d comply only with a court order. Now he has one.”

Rhodes wrote to the Flathead County commissioners saying he was opposed to accepting juveniles and had ordered his personnel not to comply with the court order. Failure to comply with his order not to accept juveniles “will result in automatic dismissal,” the sheriff said.

A Flathead Valley native, Rhodes also served as undersheriff for two years under Sheriff Ross Wilson during his long tenure in law enforcement. He started one of the early programs in area schools for drug education and deemed that “a proud achievement.”

When Rhodes was elected sheriff in 1982 he had logged 16 years with Flathead Search and Rescue, had served as a Sheriff’s Posse member and as deputy coroner for many years. He also had served with the Montana National Guard for 31 years at the time he was elected and held the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Funeral services for Rhodes will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home, with burial at the C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.