Melrose Amburn Rhyne

Melrose Amburn Rhyne, age 94, passed away peacefully on November 2, 2026, in Boiling Springs, South Carolina.

Born on May 10, 1932, in Mount Airy, North Carolina, Melrose was the daughter of the late Eldridge W. Amburn, Sr. and Ila Amburn. Raised as a farmer’s daughter in the Ladonia community of Surry County, NC, she learned early on the values of faith, family, and a strong work ethic that guided her throughout her long and abundant life. She was, above all, the glue that held her family happily together.

In her youth, Melrose was a talented athlete who loved playing basketball for Lowgap School and went on to play semi-professional basketball. In 1952, she married the love of her life, North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper James P. Rhyne, Jr., beginning a devoted union that spanned 58 cherished years until his passing in 2010. She worked as a bookkeeper at City Hall in Mount Airy from high school graduation in 1950 until 1963, when the family relocated to Titusville, Florida. There, she served as a bookkeeper for the Brevard County Clerk of Court until 1983. Upon retiring from Brevard County and returning to North Carolina to settle in Robbinsville, she continued her public service with Graham County, where she helped implement the courthouse’s first computer system. She later worked part-time on the switchboard at Fontana Village until about 2008. A devout Baptist and an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Melrose lived her faith daily through kindness and service. She was an avid gardener who found great joy working in her yard and tending to her plants. Above all, she was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She cherished hosting her grandchildren during the summer, instilling in them a deep love of the outdoors and the same strong work ethic that defined her own life. A lifelong sports enthusiast, she also loved keeping up with basketball and football games.

Melrose is survived by her loving children: her daughters Catherine (Rhyne) Zayatz and her husband Richard Zayatz, and Susan (Rhyne) Worner and her husband Doug Worner; and her son James P. Rhyne, III and his wife, Heather Rhyne. She leaves behind a cherished legacy in her five granddaughters: Lorie (Rhyne) Leal, Ashley (Rhyne) Miller, Nicole (Worner) Carmenates, Crystal (Worner) Walsh, and Emily (Zayatz) Collins, along with five great-grandchildren. In addition to her beloved husband, James, and her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Frances (Amburn) Thompson, and her brothers, Eldridge W. Amburn, Jr., Ross Amburn, and Jerry Amburn.

A Graveside Service for Melrose Rhyne will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. at Ladonia Baptist Church Cemetery, 163 Raven Knob Rd, Mt. Airy, NC. Visitation will follow in the church Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Masonic-Eastern Star Home and Orphanage.