Rodney Stephen Markham

Rodney Stephen Markham passed away on February 23, 2026, at the age of 77 years. He was born on March 21, 1948, in Buckhannon, West Virginia, and was very lucky to have been adopted by Ralph and Violet “Tunie” (Shores) Markham, who raised him and his sister Kathy in Paden City, West Virginia. After high school, “Hot Rod” attended West Virginia State University, where he earned a degree in Law Enforcement. After college, he joined the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant, and he became a member of the “elite of the elite” in the Special Forces as an Airborne Ranger Pathfinder. During his military career, he also earned his Master’s degree from Pepperdine University. After a distinguished career where he was stationed at locations across the United States and in Germany, he retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, and he then made the Northern Virginia area his home for many years. A natural leader and energetic personality, Rod focused these traits into his next life adventure: a business he called Professional Awareness. Through this business, he taught high school students the true power of strong and effective leadership, and he gave them the tools to help them become the best leaders they could be. His training sessions were full of lively contemporary music, high-energy presentations, and educational material that left everyone inspired.

Rod was blessed with two daughters, Katie (Christian) Young and Melanie Markham, and three grandchildren, Gabriel, Nicolas (Racquel), and Lily Young. He also leaves a sister, Kathy (Steve) Wiedenhoeft and a niece and nephew Bobbi and Bryan. His cousins were Henry “Porkey” Shores and Robert (Margaret) Long.

He will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors in recognition of his distinguished service in the United States Army Special Forces.