Melody Bruce Musgrove
Dr. Melody Bruce Musgrove of Madison, MS, recently retired professor at the University of Mississippi School of Education passed away peacefully on September 27, 2021, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, following a valiant fight against leukemia.
Melody was born on June 9, 1960 in Clarksdale, Mississippi and grew up in Mendenhall, Mississippi graduating from Mendenhall High School in 1976.
A Memorial Service was held October 1, 2021 at Parkway Hills United Methodist Church.
Melody began her career as a classroom special education teacher and furthered her own education receiving her Masters and Doctorate degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi. Melody rose to the position of Assistant Principal of Mullens Elementary School in Brookhaven, MS, and Assistant Superintendent of Lawrence County Schools. While serving as Assistant Superintendent, Melody was named the Director of Special Education for Mississippi. Melody initially met her husband Ronnie Musgrove in 2004 while working with the Mississippi Department of Education. They reconnected in 2005 with Ronnie's efforts to "officially" welcome Melody to Madison, MS.
On August 4, 2007, Melody married David Ronald (Ronnie) Musgrove, the 62nd Governor of Mississippi at Smith Lake, with family there to support their union. After six years as Director of Special Education, Melody became an advisor and policy consultant to LRP Publications, one of the foremost Special Education Publishers in the country. One of the true highlights of her career came in 2010, when Melody accepted a Presidential Appointment as the Director of the Office of Special Education Programs for the U.S. Department of Education. While serving as Director, Melody led the transformation of the direction of Special Education in our country. She was the second longest serving Director in the history of the office of OSEP.
Upon retiring from OSEP and focusing on raising their son Grayson with Ronnie, Ole Miss called on Melody to teach Special Education in the School of Education and to become the Co-Director of the Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning with Cathy Grace. Melody and her family were active members of Parkway Hills United Methodist in Madison, MS.
She was predeceased by her father and mother, Maxie Bruce, Sr. and Sarah Conerly Bruce and her daughter Amanda Erin Smith.
Those left to cherish her memory are her Husband, Ronnie Musgrove and her sons, Grayson Smith Musgrove and Michael Smith (Maggie), her brother Maxie (Mac) Bruce, Jr., and her two step-children Jordan David Musgrove (Joely) and Carmen Rae Musgrove Huang (Ian).
She is also survived by five precious grandchildren, Evelyn & John Paul Smith, Ethan & Harrison Huang, and Charles Musgrove along with her rescue dog Noah.