Rodney S. Hugate, 83, of Mathews, died Thursday, June 16, 2011.

He retired from Newport News Shipyard and Drydock Company after 33 years as Chief Engineer on a tugboat, but never retired from "The Water."

He enjoyed crabbing, working on his boat and participating in Harborfest in Norfolk. Rodney was a WWII veteran of the Merchant Marine and a member of American Legion Post #83.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marion Lee Hugate; one brother, and two sisters.

He is survived by his son, Rodney "Bubba" Hugate of Newport News; his daughter, Judy Hugate Phillips and her husband Jimmy of Portsmouth; two granddaughters, Karen Phillips of Portsmouth, and Heather Myles of Virginia Beach, and grandson, Jimmy Phillips Jr. of Chesapeake; eight great-grandchildren; one brother, Andrew "Sweetpea" Hugate of Bavon, and three sisters, Christine Belvin of Gloucester Point, Bernice Colson of Grafton, and Helen Dobson of Yorktown.

The family received friends at Foster-Faulkner Funeral Home, Mathews, Va., from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, June 17. Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18, 2011, in the funeral home chapel, with entombment at Windsor Gardens Mausoleum, Dutton, Va.