Frances Rhyne Daily

Frances Rhyne Daily, 97, died peacefully on June 7, 2020 at Wellspring Retirement Community. The family will hold a private burial on Monday, June 15. A celebration of her life will be held at a future date.

Born in Charlotte to the late Thomas Paul Rhyne and Bertie Rankin Rhyne, Frances moved to Greensboro when she was three years old. She graduated from Curry High School, received a BS in biology from Lenoir Rhyne College (now University) where she was selected May Queen, and earned a master’s degree in math education from UNC-G (formerly Woman’s College).

Upon graduating college, she taught science and math and even coached the high school football team when all the men left the school to fight in WWII. While working on her master’s degree she served as a demonstration teacher at Curry School and she also taught education courses at UNC-G.

When her children were young, Frances stopped teaching and became very active in the Greensboro community. She jokingly referred to herself as a “professional volunteer.”

Active in the Girl Scouts throughout her life, she loved her summers at Old Mill Camp and earned the Golden Eaglet (highest award for a Girl Scout). As an adult, she served as the volunteer board president of the Piedmont Girl Scout Council (Greensboro) and on the national Board of Directors for Girl Scouts USA. She later accepted a position as executive director of the Tarheel Triad Girl Scout Council, where she was awarded the Thanks Badge (the highest honor), had the street where the council was located named in her honor, and most recently was awarded an 85-year member recognition pin.

Frances was an active lifelong member of First Lutheran Church in Greensboro where she taught Sunday school and catechism classes for confirmands, served as president of the church council, and was instrumental in establishing the church’s Endowment Fund. Her First Lutheran family was extremely important to her.

Frances was an active volunteer in the Greensboro community, serving on the City Housing Commission, as Regent of the Guilford Battle Chapter of the DAR, as President of the Legal Auxiliary, and on boards and committees of many other community organizations. She also served on the Board of Visitors for her alma mater, Lenoir Rhyne University. In 1994, she was nominated as one of the Distinguished Women of North Carolina for volunteerism. She was interested in politics at all levels and served as a poll worker and campaign volunteer at various times. Frances was proud of the fact that she was the first woman to serve on a jury in Guilford County, and she was thrilled that she “lived long enough to vote for a woman for President!”

In addition to her many volunteer and professional activities, Frances was an avid gardener, an adventurous traveler and a passionate Tarheel basketball fan. She had deep roots in the community where she had lived her life and was still having lunch with her special friends from her bridge club, which met for more than 60 years.

Frances was preceded in death by her parents Bertie and Paul Rhyne of Greensboro, her husband Francis V. Lael, a pilot lost in WWII, and her husband Blair L. Daily, a Greensboro attorney until his death in 1988. She was also predeceased by her sister, Farrar Rhyne Schenk of Greensboro and brother, Thomas Paul Rhyne Jr. of Greenville, SC.

Frances is survived by her daughters, Linda Lael of Decatur, GA, Charlesanna Daily Ecker (Bill) of Stamford, CT, and Marian Daily King (Jim) of Greensboro, her two grandsons David Ecker of Brooklyn, NY and Michael Ecker of Stamford, CT, as well as her nieces and nephews.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Endowment Fund of the First Lutheran Church at 3600 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27410, or the Peaks to Piedmont Girl Scout Council (formerly Tarheel Triad) at 8818 West Market Street, Colfax, NC 27235, or to any organization that is meaningful to the giver.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Wellspring Retirement Community where Frances lived for 15 years in Independent Living, Assisted Living and more recently with additional support. Their care and concern for Frances, and their efforts to keep her in communication with her family meant so much during this difficult time when visits were not allowed.