Tony Rye

Tony Rye died peacefully on New Year’s Day at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, GA at the age of 95.

Tony is survived by his beloved wife of 73 years, Bertha (Hoschton, GA), son David & his wife Catherine (Dunwoody, GA), grandchildren Alex & wife Amy (Johns Creek, GA), Carla (Dunwoody, GA), and Allison (Chicago), four great-grandchildren (Elvis Montoya (Dunwoody), and Parker, Eva Emilija, and Charles Rye (Johns Creek)), along with seven nieces and five nephews.  He is preceded in death by his eight brothers. 

Tony was born June 5th, 1928 in Michigan’s “thumb” (Juhl, MI), the seventh of nine boys to Dominic Ruginis (Sablauskiu, Lithuania) and Emilija Domarkiate (Gargždel?, Lithuania). 

He graduated from Detroit’s Chadsey High School in 1950 where he garnered 2nd team all-city honors as a tight end and played football at Morningside College (Sioux City, Iowa) for future legendary NFL coach George Allen.  Financially challenged and homesick for Bertha who he had married July 17th 1950, he returned to Detroit in 1951.  Tony changed his Ruginis surname to its literal English equivalent “Rye” in May 1954 at the peak of McCarthyism’s fervor which saw widespread prejudice towards immigrants of former Russian states.  He worked for several years for Ethyl Corporation before joining Ford Motor Co. as a material handling engineer at Wayne Assembly Plant in the 60s, and later at Ford Tractor, retiring in 1989. While working full-time, Tony attended night-school and received his Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan Univ. in 1971 where he taught evening courses for several years.  His talents were called upon in construction of Ford’s Hermosillo, MX assembly plant, as well as by Ford’s UK tractor division.   To be closer to their only son’s family Tony & Bertha moved from Detroit to the Deaton Creek Village retirement community (Hoschton) in 2007, and in 2021, to the Phoenix at Braselton independent living community. He remained an active bocci, football, and bowling enthusiast until his final days.    

Tony led an active life with many interests, and shared his diverse talents, time, and emotional and financial support with many.  Most will recall his passions for Detroit’s Lithuanian community, bowling, and football.  Tony was also a historian, historiographer, and cartophile, played fast-pitch softball and golf, square-danced, and enjoyed singing, board and card games, puzzles of all sorts, reading, vegetable gardening, cooking, and travel.  He was first and foremost, a family man, and no one could hold a candle to his do-it-yourself mentality and abilities. Tony sacrificed to ensure that others enjoyed the fruits of his labors.   He was intensely proud and supportive of the accomplishments of family.  He was a dedicated organizer for every group or community in which he participated and lived.  Tony’s generosity manifest in recent years with meaningful, annual gifts to veteran’s organizations (Wounded Warriors and Tunnels to Towers), children’s health (St. Jude’s and Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals); the Angel Tree Prison Fellowship, Food for the Poor, the Hypersomnia Foundation, and his son’s medical research at Emory University.

A memorial service for Tony will be held Saturday Jan. 13th, 2024 at Memorial Park Funeral Home – South Chapel, 4121 Falcon Parkway, Flowery Branch, GA (30542) with visitation noon-2:00 pm and a service from 2:00-3:00 pm.  Reception following at 3:30 pm at a location to be announced.  In lieu of flowers donations to Wounded Warriors Family Support (wwfs.org).  Florist if desired: Joyce Mark Florist (770-534-6691).