Lelia Margaret Rhinehart Fulton, age 94, was born in Chicago, Illinois on Monday October 22, 1928, the daughter of Hamon James Ross, Sr., and Mary Johnson Ross. She passed away peacefully at home on Monday morning, February 20, 2023 after a brief hospital stay and complications from Covid-19.

Margaret was a graduate of Atkins High School (class of '45) and received her Bachelor's degree in Music with a minor in English, from Hampton Institute (now University).

After graduation, Margaret taught music and English classes at schools in Oklahoma and South Carolina.  In 1957-58 at Robert Smalls High School in Beaufort SC, her music students won the state choral contest for two consecutive years (with the rendition of the Hallejuah chorus). She returned to Winston Salem, continuing her teaching career at Anderson Senior High before transferring to West Forsyth Senior High, where she remained until her retirement in 1989, a teaching career that spanned over 40 years.

Margaret was a member of United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, where she served many years as the church organist and pianist for the Senior Choir.

In addition to her parent, she was preceded in death by her only sibling, Hamon Ross, Jr. (Jack).

Margaret is survived by three loving sons, Herman Fulton Jr.(caregiver) of the home, Dr. Kenneth Rhinehart (Dr. Vicki Stovall-Rhinehart) of Kernersville, NC and David Rhinehart of Jamestown, NC; a loving grandson, Philip Gregory Rhinehart (Beth Kearney) of Hillsborough, NC and step granddaughters, Pamela Stovall-Lee (Javon) of the city and Safia Mohamoud of Washington, DC; step great grandchildren, Ethan Lee and Izzy Lee; cousins, Mary Ann Howard of Littleton, NC Doris Adams of Columbia, SC, Modessa Johnson of New Bern, NC, Pauline Harris (Jake) of Washington, DC, Jean Parran and Marie Queen of Washington, DC, Henry Johnson of Wake Forest, NC Andrew Johnson of Edgewood, MD, and Linda Perkins Foote of the city whom she dearly loves and considers as her "adopted daughter"; dear friends Martha Brimmage of Kernersville, NC, Johnny(Edna) Siegers of the city, Alex White, Philadelphia, PA, Jake (Delia) Palien of Silver Springs, MD, Donald Palien, Sylvia (Dr. Jack) Benoit of Washington, DC.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 1:00 pm in the chapel of Hooper Funeral Home.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt appreciation for the loving care she received from Novant Health , in particular Dr. Nortei  Dowuona and all the 8 ^th floor pulmonary nurses and CNAs assigned to her team. We also express our heartfelt appreciation for Trellis Supportive Care, in particular Mildred Hernandez, RN, hospice aide Jade Myers and the CNAs and nurses who provided loving, in home hospice care to our mom.