Rhonda Murphy Hastings

Rhonda Felicia Flowers was born on December 10, 1962, in Orlando, to Deloris Flowers Cade and Oscar Kenneth Detwyler, and raised by her father, the late James Cade. Rhonda lived up to her name and was a flower who bloomed wherever she was planted. She grew up in Orlando, Florida, where she attended Orange County Public Schools. She graduated from Evans High School in 1980. Upon graduating from high school, she moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, to attend Bethune Cookman College. She majored in marketing and graduated in 1984. While there, she met and married Gerald Murphy. From this union were two beautiful children born, Aisha and Gelani Murphy. A devoted mother, she was actively engaged and involved in her children's education and many extracurricular activities, often attending field trips, sewing costumes for school plays, assisting in event planning and decorating school functions. She extended that same devotion to her home schooled grandchildren, taking them on adventures and exploring the beauty of God's creation. She was an expert at event planning and boundlessly creative. Whatever she put her hands to turned out beautifully, from tea parties in her backyard oasis, to family reunions across the country. She founded the Florida Beach Cats, a recreational camping group. She would convene beach goers on the Historic American Beach in Jacksonville, Florida. Rhonda was a staunch advocate who took up the cause to protect the once all-Black beachfront property from gentrification and joined efforts to preserve beach camping. In 2020, she realized a lifelong dream and purchased a recreational vehicle, which became a home away from home. She relished the quality time spent with her family and friends while camping. She took pride in the number of people whom she introduced to the camping lifestyle. Rhonda loved bringing people together to celebrate life. She held a New Year's Eve "Fish and Loaves" gathering annually. In the spirit of Jesus Christ, who fed the masses with five loaves and two fish — she prepared fish and loaves of bread and hosted a potluck with prayers to ring in the new year. This act of generosity sums up who Rhonda was and what she did throughout her lifetime. She cared deeply for people and always found ways to multiply what she had in time, treasure and talent to share with and serve those she loved. Her involvement at Church of Compassion gave her great joy as she served on the hospitality and event planning team. She would often invite friends to worship with her. She was a woman with the gift of faith. She remained unshakeable in her love for God and grateful for life until the day she was called home. Rhonda's beautiful legacy of loving-kindness and generosity is how she will always be remembered by her family and friends.

Rhonda Murphy Hastings

December 10, 1962 - September 30, 2021