Lisbeth Rhine’s wit and sense of humor were not to be repressed, even in the most serious of situations. She had a reputation for finding humor in nearly any situation.
“I remember when I met her, she was interviewing for a job,” said Allison Davis, who was one of the interviewers. “And she was asked a particular question and she looked at me, rolled her eyes and winked, and I said, “I like this woman! Who is she? She’s different from the others.’ “
That moment turned into a more than 20 year friendship between the two women, where they shared a number of personal ups and downs.
“She cared so much for others, her heart was just too big for this world,” Ms. Davis said tearfully. “She spent so much time caring for others, I don’t think she spent enough time caring for herself.”
Elizabeth McCants Rhine, known to most as Lisbeth, of Atlanta, died suddenly Wednesday from complications of a years-long eating disorder. She was 42. A graveside service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Cemetery in Avera, approximately 30 miles east of Sparta. Beggs Funeral Home, Thomson, is in charge of the arrangements.
Ms. Rhine was born in Columbia, S.C., but grew up in the metro Atlanta area. From a young age she studied ballet, which was the root of her eating disorder, she said in an interview for the Little Pink Book’s 2012 Top 11 Women in Philanthropy. She said her eating disorder began when she was 15 and continued until she was 30, when she decided it was time to stop.
“To most people I looked ‘healthy.’ I was 5’8 and 125 pounds. However, in the ballet world I weighed too much,” she said in a Q & A with the organization. “My ‘aha’ moment came when I was leaning over the toilet at 30 years old making myself throw up. I sat back on my heels, and I said, ‘Aren’t you tired of obsessing about your weight and hating your body?’ Thankfully, I answered ‘yes’ and sought help for the first time.”
Part of her recovery process included helping other young women who suffered from eating disorders and body image issues, said Tinley Anderson, her husband of four years. Mr. Anderson said his wife used her life experience to relate to other women who had similar issues.
“She was at the point where she really wanted to help people,” he said. “And there are so many layers to eating disorders… I think she was really able to help a lot of young women with body image issues.”
At the time of her death, Ms. Rhine was the executive director of EDIN, the Eating Disorders Information Network. She often spoke publicly about her struggle with her eating disorder, and her recovery process. She was also a board member and volunteer at PALS Atlanta, and an avid rescuer of dogs.
“She gave a voice to those who couldn’t be heard,” Ms. Davis said. “Because many of the girls and women who suffer from eating disorders aren’t heard, and the dogs who need to be rescued, they need to be heard, and she wanted to help them all, and I believe she did.”
Ms. Rhine is also survived by her mother, Kay Rhine Clark of Stone Mountain.
About the Author
