Imogene Adams Rye

Imogene Adams Rye, 93, of Clarksville, Tennessee, died August 27, 2025, at Fieldstone Place senior living community in Clarksville. She was born April 1, 1932, in Houston County, Erin, Tennessee. She was the youngest of six children born to Arthur Emery and Lola (Breeden) Adams.

Imogene was educated at Yellow Creek School and Erin High School, graduating in 1950. She attended Austin Peay State University (then College) in Clarksville where she earned her BA, MA, and Ed.S., majoring in elementary education and administration & supervision. She also took summer courses in Nashville at George Peabody College for Teachers (now Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development) which provided unforgettable cultural experiences for her family. She was a career classroom teacher, teaching first and fourth grades for 34 years at Fort Campbell Dependent Schools until her retirement in 1992, followed by five years teaching fourth grade at Davidson Academy in Nashville, Tennessee.

Imogene was married to Ralph Dexter “Deck” Rye, also from Erin, from 1950 – 1970. They had three children. The youngest, Bennett Adams Rye, (wife Alicia) pre-deceased his mother in 2019. The middle child, Pastor Les Rye (wife Laurie) resides in Lucas, Kansas. The eldest, Dr. Judy Dexter Rye, teaches Theatre Arts at Kenwood High School in Clarksville.

Imogene grew up attending Griffin’s Chapel Church of the Nazarene which was just over the hill from the family farm. With an ear for music, while still a girl, she served as the church pianist. She transferred her church membership to the First Christian Church of Clarksville in 1963. This is the church where her children were baptized and began their Christian education. Imogene had four grandchildren, AKA angels: Emma Rye, Anna Graves, Morgan Moore, and Burgess Rye. Her four great grandchildren are Beau, Maddux, and Jace Moore and Eleanor Rye.

Imogene was a creative and inspiring educator for both students and fellow teachers. One of her principals, and later a family friend, Dr. Lynn Canady described her as one who “could see a butterfly on a flower and create a week’s worth of lessons based on that butterfly.” With the advent of social media, she had been tracked down and thanked by many of the fourth graders she taught at Ft. Campbell. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an international society for key women educators.

Imogene was an avid sewer, quilter, crafter, and artist. These may be mere hobbies to some, but to her these were truly her expressions of love and her way of consistently cultivating joy for herself in the midst of life’s pressures, losses, and challenges. Her family and friends are the beneficiaries of countless gifts that she stitched with love.

A graveside service will be held on September 20 at 1 p.m. at Cedar Hill Cemetery and a reception will follow at Griffin’s Chapel. Both are in Erin TN.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to:

Imogene Rye Memorial Education Fund, The Field Academy, PO Box 181027, Denver CO 80218 or online at https://givebutter.com/Imogene_Education-Memorial. The Field Academy was co-founded by Anna Graves, Imogene’s granddaughter. She serves as its executive director. The Field Academy provides alternative education opportunities for students who are not succeeding in the traditional system.

Or to:

The Bennett Adams Rye Scholarship Fund, Office of Development, Lipscomb University, One University Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37204.

Arrangements are in the care of Nave Funeral Home, (931) 289-4277, NaveFuneralHomes.com.