Paul Henry Rhyne

Paul Henry Rhyne was born in Washington, D.C. on September 14, 1952 and died suddenly on August 4, 2025 in Springfield, Virginia from complications resulting from a fall. He was preceded in death by his father, Brice Wilson Rhyne, his brother, Brice Wilson Rhyne, Jr., his mother, Thelma Campbell Rhyne, his father-in-law, Andrew Caldwell, and his mother-in-law, Frances Herr Caldwell. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Kathleen Caldwell Rhyne, and his two sons, Patrick McCally and Christopher Wilson; his sister, Patty Rhyne and her husband David Reihner of Washington PA; his sister, Terri and her husband James Butler of Burke, VA; his sister-in-law, Beth Caldwell of Arlington, VA; his brothers-in-law, Andrew Caldwell, Jr. of Lancaster, PA and Douglas Caldwell (Linda Varnis) of Scranton, PA; his aunts, Sallie Rhyne of Louisville, KY, and Shirley Campbell of Springfield, IL; his nephew, Lyden Butler; and many cousins.

Paul was a man of many talents and hobbies. He was one of a kind with an insatiable curiosity. From childhood, he was quite artistic and liked to do cartoon drawing and leatherworking, making hand-tooled wallets and coin purses. He also enjoyed doing origami, something he continued to do as an adult. If he gave you one of his signature origami cranes, count yourself lucky. As a young man, he was into bodybuilding, martial arts, scuba diving, and skiing. His sister, Patty, remembers how he would drink Tiger Milk and eggs with honey to stay in shape. He had a motorcycle for a time and liked to ride on the open road sporting a Fu Manchu mustache. He graduated from T.C. Williams High School and was in the class depicted in the film Remember the Titans. After high school, he attended Northern Virginia Community College where he took photography classes. He loved gadgets and electronics, an interest that enhanced his job skills as an audiovisual specialist for the law firm of Covington and Burling. In 1980, he was introduced by a co-worker to the love of his life, Kathleen, at the office Christmas party, where they hit it off and spent the next 10 years together before ultimately getting married in 1990.

Paul was a foodie, wine connoisseur, and world traveler. As a kid, he took an amazing trip with his dad, Brice, and his brother, Buddy, all over Europe and Asia. While working for his dad and uncle’s law firm, Rhyne & Rhyne, he was the photographer for a law conference in Ivory Coast, Africa, a once in a lifetime trip for him. He especially loved Hawaii, so when Paul and Kathleen decided to marry, they did so on the edge of the volcano Kilauea on the Big Island. His recent travels included Hawaii, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Kitty Hawk, Virginia Beach, and Myrtle Beach. In May 2025, Paul took a cruise with his family on the Norwegian Bliss along the coast of Alaska, which he felt was the best trip he had ever taken in his life.

Paul loved animals of all kinds, especially birds, both tropical and backyard. He was devoted to his bird, Pepper, a green Military Macaw, and they enjoyed chatting together daily. Like a modern-day Dr. Doolittle, he had a special way of talking to animals that they responded to. Additionally, he loved gardening and enjoyed posting pictures of his sensational spring blooms, including vibrant azaleas, cherry blossoms, and tulips. He was an incredible photographer and videographer who documented all of life’s important moments for the whole family. Always curious, he enjoyed watching popular TV series, nature shows, and documentaries as well.

He was good-humored and kind. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, son, and friend. His greatest joys in life came from being a father to his sons, Patrick and Christopher. With Christopher, he enjoyed spending time daily and on special family outings to restaurants and exotic locales, teaching him about the world in their travels together. With Patrick, he loved watching classic shows like The Three Stooges, The Munsters, and Looney Tunes. Patrick remembers fondly watching movies at home every evening as Paul would share his love of science fiction and action movies with him. He also shared a love of Formula 1 racing with Patrick, and they enjoyed rooting for their favorite driver, Lewis Hamilton. He especially loved going to the movies with Patrick and his friends, and they recently enjoyed the films F1, The Fantastic Four First Steps and Mickey 17. He was also an avid gamer, a past time that he shared with Patrick, especially.

We will miss his infectious laugh and quirky sense of humor. He had a wonderful sense of fun. These are some of my cherished memories of him, as his sister, Terri. I remember when I was in 4th grade how Paul took me on my first roller coaster. He had us sit in the very last seat of the Rebel Yell at Kings Dominion. When we got to the top and it broke right, I thought I was going to fly right out of the ride and screamed bloody murder, which he of course found hilarious (he was a bit of a rascal, too). He reminded me a lot of my dad, jovial and fun-loving. The first Christmas after our dad died, I was in 1st grade, and I recall how Paul had me follow a string he had laid out in an elaborate maze down the stairs and all over the rec room that ultimately led to some pink inflatable furniture, just for me. I also remember how Paul liked to “crack an egg” on my head and his “tickling” was really just hard poking in the ribs. He also taught me how to skateboard. When I decided to retune his guitar as a childhood prank, he somehow forgave me. He took gorgeous photos of my graduations, wedding, and newborn son. He videotaped my son Lyden’s entire piano recital performance. He helped take care of our mom in her last year of life. He was there when it counted, and we will miss him forever. Rest easy, dearest Paul.

A private family memorial will be held in the fall. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Autism Society of America (autismsociety.org) in honor of Paul’s son Christopher.