Long-time ACEers will remember Thomas Glen Rhodes, who passed away March 14, 2026, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Tom was born July 2, 1948, in Saratoga Springs, New York, and was a lifelong resident of the city. He graduated from Saratoga Springs High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree from Union College and a master’s degree from SUNY Albany.
His interest in roller coasters began with an interest in trains. In kindergarten, he received a Lionel train set that his father set up in the basement. He belonged to at least two train clubs in the Saratoga area and at one point was a dispatcher for the former D&H railroad.
Tom joined ACE in 1990 and soon became an associate editor of RollerCoaster!. By 1994, he was managing editor, and his first issue as RollerCoaster! editor was #59, Fall 1996. In 2007, Tom was awarded an ACE Honorary Membership, which commemorated his hours of effort devoted to writing, editing and contributing photographs for the magazine.
He and his wife Donna traveled extensively to amusement parks to ride both new and historic roller coasters. Tom was a mechanical engineer and designed roller coasters as a hobby. A member of the ACE New York region, Tom is remembered as being extremely helpful to the crew at Six Flags Great Escape when plans were being made to rebuild The Comet.
There will be a memorial service in June, the date to be announced later.
— Lee Ann Draud, ACE News Editor, and Jeffrey Seifert, ACE Association Manager
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