Sergeant Rhonda Duncan Hadley
March 23, 1956 – June 26, 2025

A quiet force. A steady hand. A heart that led without fanfare.

Sergeant Rhonda Duncan Hadley passed peacefully on June 26, 2025, after spending 69 years guiding her family, her colleagues, and her community with quiet strength and unwavering love. Whether in uniform, in church, or in the kitchen with her sisters, Rhonda led not through volume, but through example.

Born on March 23, 1956, in Burtsell, Arkansas, she was the daughter of Willard Beasly and Yvonne Lowe. As the eldest daughter in a tight-knit family, Rhonda naturally took on the role of calm anchor among her siblings, Larry (Shirley) Duncan, Audrey Guy, and Anita (Terry) Clingmon.

She graduated from Hot Springs High School in 1974, played the flute in the marching band, and later earned her associate's degree from National Park College, proving that growth, perseverance, and learning are always in season.

After marrying her childhood sweetheart, Kelvin Hadley, Rhonda embarked on a journey that would take her from Hot Springs to Louisville, KY, and Houston, TX, where she held professional roles in banking and office administration. Along the way, she became the proud mother of three children: Mechele, Nikki, and, years later, William. In a favorite family twist of fate, Rhonda and her eldest daughter were briefly pregnant at the same time, making William an uncle before his first birthday.

In 1996, she returned to her hometown of Hot Springs with her young son, William, to begin a new chapter. Though her move into law enforcement surprised some, it became one of her most defining and impactful life decisions. Rhonda joined the Garland County Sheriff's Department and built a respected 27-year career marked by fairness, loyalty, and quiet command. She rose to the rank of Sergeant and was appointed Administrator of the Garland County Juvenile Detention Center in 2013. She retired in 2023, having earned not only accolades and awards but the deep respect of her colleagues and community.

Outside of her career, Rhonda poured her time and heart into service. At Cottrell Chapel CME Church, she held many roles: Director of the Board of Christian Education, Sunday School teacher, kitchen committee member, and usher. She also sang and ushered at Gethsemane Baptist Church. Whether helping organize a church dinner or preparing a lesson, she gave without need for recognition, always reliable, always full of quiet grace.

Her joys were simple and steady: gardening, flowers, and nature programs (especially her beloved Westerns, which she never tired of). She cherished trips with her sisters and nieces, evenings with her plants, and purpose in the simple moments with family

Rhonda is preceded in death by her father, Willard Beasly; her mother, Yvonne Lowe; her stepdaughter, Zebulon Green; and her brother-in-law, Jessie Guy.

She is survived by her fiancé, Eugene Holloway; her children LaKesha "Mechele" McNary (Raymond), NeKenya "Nikki" Joseph (Keith), William Alonzo Hadley, and an adopted son Chian Gibson; her siblings Larry Duncan (Shirley), Audrey Guy, Anita Clingmon (Terry), Norma Dobson (Herb), Gayle Cunningham (Vance), and Lesa Cox (Michael); her treasured grandchildren: Jordan McNary, Raymond McNary, RayShaun McNary (Britni) Aundrea Spencer, and Christina Spencer; one cherished great-grandson, TyAundre Spencer; and one Aunt Geartha Duncan. She also leaves behind several nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly, as well as a host of cousins, church family, and longtime friends who remain better for having known her.

Rhonda's life was a portrait of grace, strong but soft, dependable but never boastful. She led with action, uplifted others with kindness, and left the world better simply by being in it.

Rest well, Rhonda. Your work here is done, and it was beautiful.

The funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 02, 2025, at noon. The visitation will be one hour prior at Cottrell Chapel C.M.E. Church, 698 East Grand Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901

You may sign the guest registry at http://www.carriganmemorial.com

Arrangements are entrusted to Carrigan Memorial Funeral Services.