Priscilla Morgan Rye, of Jasper, FL. passed away unexpectedly at home on Wednesday afternoon, April 19, 2023, at the age of 72.

The Suwannee County native was born on November 19, 1950, to the late Ronald K. and Myrtie Allen Morgan. She grew up in Live Oak with dad selling cars and mom a nurse at the local hospital and nursing home. Everyone knew her parents Ronald and Myrtie and so she and brothers David and Gary were hard pressed to get into too much trouble without mom and dad knowing before they reached home. Priscilla married her high school sweetheart James Rye and for 51 years they enjoyed making people laugh at their crazy antics. Together they suffered the loss of an infant daughter, Ashley Jennifer Rye, in 1973 but then in September of 1974 they welcomed daughter Laural and oh how she changed their world. After Laural went off to school, Priscilla went to work for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. She worked in many capacities at the Sheriff's Office and one of those was in investigations and it was there, working with family after family in child abuse cases, that she and James came to fully realize the need for more willing hearts to foster children. The two of them took in several children to foster and before they knew it, God was opening the door to adopt. Their family of three grew leaps and bounds. Retirement came and life brought caretaking back into the picture with her mom and dad. Pris and James also opened their hearts and home to help care for his sister, Evelyn and her aunt "Granny Letha" before nursing home time came. Nurturing was just one of Priscilla's special gifts and that gift was not limited to the two-legged kind. It was a constant in her life to have one animal or another from monkeys to donkeys, rabbits, cats, dogs, peacocks and the list goes on and on. Cooking and baking happened to be another gift that she blessed folks with. Food is and has always opened the door to the heart and Priscilla baked and delivered ten-layer chocolate cakes and pound cakes by the dozens to minister to people's hearts. She was a gifted artist and loved crafting and decorating her home for the joy of others. Her home was always, but especially on holidays, decorated with enthusiasm and could have been featured in any magazine as a "Southern Living Home" type article. Priscilla loved laughing and joking but her world began to get smaller following the death of her parents and brothers, David and Gary, both of whom she loved with all her heart. Those that knew her best saw her suffer the losses harder each time. But she had James and son Jonathan to take care of. When Jonathan needed a kidney, she solicited prayers and finally set about on a full-on campaign to get his transplant and after finally painting her car with a request for a donor, she saw God open the door and they were blessed almost immediately with a donor. It goes without saying that Facebook became her biggest friend when it came to getting the message out for Jonathan and once that campaign was over, she had a huge following. She never failed to entertain with her tales of James, Jonathan, the farm and its assorted population of animals, her twin boys Matthew and Michael and of her beautiful daughter Laural and her husband Dane and their beautiful girls Morgan and Caroline, who were flourishing in high school and one off to college.

It was with shock and great sadness, when her many friends from high school and work that followed her on Facebook, the cousins and family members that laughed and covered their eyes and shook their heads at some of her tall tales of growing up in Live Oak or at the river on weekends, and the many new friends she made along the way, opened their phones on Thursday morning following her death on Wednesday and learned of her passing.  Not one of them was surprised to learn that James, that high school sweetheart and husband of 51 years was at her side because it was only natural that he would be there for her just as he had always been for so many years. After the shock and immediate sadness eased, the theme around the home where visitors gathered and around the community became that of joy for Priscilla because of her faith in Jesus Christ, everyone could honestly say what a glad reunion day she must be having in heaven at that moment.

Survivors include her husband, James Rye; daughter and son-in-law, Laural and Dane Heard; her sons, Matthew, Michael and Jonathan Rye; and her grandchildren, Morgan and Caroline Heard, Kyler, Harley and Sage Rye. Her brother David's wife, LeNelle Morgan.  Her brother Gary's children, niece and nephew, Dee Anne Morgan Wheeler and Michael Morgan (Heather).

A memorial service for Priscilla was held on Saturday, May 20th at Corinth Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Franklin Graham Ministry Samaritan's Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 or online at www.samaritanspurse.org or to Ronald McDonald House,1600 SW 14th Street Gainesville, FL 32608.