Myrtle “Granny” Rye was born Myrtle McCall to Pearl McMillan and Bailey McCall in Keatchie, Louisiana on February 22, 1919. One of 16 children with amazing nicknames, she was best known as “Gant”. She graduated from Central Colored High in Shreveport, Louisiana and went on to attend Grambling University.
On August 16, 1941, Myrtle McCall married the love of her life: Eddie Rye, Sr.
Despite strong roots in the South, Myrtle and Eddie Sr. relocated to Seattle in 1952 when he was named the Northwest Organizer for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (Pullman Porters). They relocated with the hope of giving their children a better education and greater opportunity. They soon took the city by storm–each in their own way. Myrtle became a costume designer and seamstress for Brocklind’s and many others. She later served as the Vice President of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. She was also very active in the Mr. and Mrs. Club, a social club for parents with small children.
The strength of Myrtle’s resolve was unmatched. The surest way to guarantee something got done was to tell Myrtle she could not do it. A white coworker once told her that, as a black woman, she could never be a manufacturing inspector. Naturally, Myrtle enrolled in night school to get the credentials that allowed her to become an inspector at Boeing. She also became a member of and shop steward for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).
The Rye Household was home for more than just blood-related children—it was a gathering place and refuge for many. And even if you didn’t live with Myrtle, it did not mean she did not mother you: neighborhood “kids”, now in their 60s and 70s, still reflect on her warm welcome, but firm discipline. Indeed, it was these children, along with her grandchildren–“Granny’s babies”–that brought her the most joy in her life.
Myrtle was fierce. Not angry fierce, but fashion forward fierce. Her early work as a costume designer and seamstress spoke to her sense of style. Well into her 80s, she could be seen sporting one of the best hat collections in the Pacific Northwest. Myrtle believed that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well – and that included getting dressed.
She was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church for more than sixty years, and if you were at her home on a Sunday morning, you surely heard “Rough Side of the Mountain” on the family stereo (any other time you could find her singing Minnie the Moocher!). You knew Myrtle was a Christian not just by her professions of faith, but by her love and compassion for others.
Through her flourishing garden, her legendary peach cobbler, and knack for canning, she fed us. Through her amazing seamstress skills, she clothed us. Through her preserving strength, her love of travel and exploration, she inspired us. And through her great and nurturing love, she blessed us.
She battled Alzheimer’s from 2003 until her passing on Monday, May 25, 2015.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband of nearly 50 years, Eddie “Gramps” Rye Sr., all of her siblings, son-in-law: Lee Brock, and granddaughter: Tracy Looney. She leaves behind her six children: Eddie Jr. (Andrea), Jerry, Jackie (Digene), Sally Rye Gomes (Emidio), Brenda Rye Brock, Reggie “Tony”, 12 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews, and godchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association and Gaffney House on behalf of Myrtle Rye. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2015 at 11 AM at Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
