Rodney Standen

Rodney John Ashby Standen, 88, of Poplar died Feb. 16, 2026.

He was born March 28, 1937, to John and Maisie Standen in Johannesburg, South Africa. While he was a young boy, his father entered the Royal Marines and fought in World War II. In 1948, he welcomed his brother, Glyn. He was especially fond of his grandmother, Constance Lilian Hooton.

After attending school at Pridwin and at Marist Brothers in Johannesburg, he began working in advertising at FOX and moved into writing film advertising. In 1965, he received an award (Deplome) from the Cannes Film Festival. Later, in 1968, he moved from South Africa to London, England, to pursue a career in screen writing.

While in London, he met and married Ilene, who encouraged him to move to Los Angeles, Calif., to pursue a