Melanie Joy Grimes, nee Kornfeld, aged 72, passed away on February 12, 2024, in Durham, North Carolina. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 11, 1951, to the late Leo and Laura Kornfeld, Melanie’s life was one marked by creativity, dedication, entrepreneurship, and a commitment to the well-being of others.
In 1973, with a vision and a spirit of enterprise, Melanie founded M.J. Feet – The Birkenstock Store, the inaugural Birkenstock retail presence in the United States. Alongside her husband, the late Charles Grimes, she managed and expanded this chain, specializing in comfort footwear and apparel, for over three and a half decades. Melanie’s business acumen and her commitment to quality were the cornerstones of her life.
Later in her career, Melanie worked as Executive Director for Living Essentials Foundation where she played a vital role in researching and managing advancements in holistic medical care for the founders of 5-Hour Energy Drink.
Melanie was a published author and medical editor with expertise in the health, wellness, and natural product retail arena. She was an adjunct faculty at John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine and taught at the American Medical College of Homeopathy.
She edited homeopathic journals and lectured internationally. A student of homeopathy, Melanie edited the “Simillimum” for the Homeopathic Association of Naturopathic Physicians and was a founding editor of “The American Homeopath” for the North American Society of Homeopaths.
In addition to her retail and health industry success, Melanie also owned an Alpaca ranch, a book publishing company, a candle making business, taught screenwriting, wholesaled medical textbooks, and lived her life with passion and creativity and an endless fascination in the world we live in. She was an avid creative writer, watercolor painter and natural fiber spinner and knitter.
Her favorite place was her beautiful home on Queen Anne in Seattle, WA where she and her husband cultivated a garden full of tulips, daffodils, heritage roses and bonsai trees. For many decades, Melanie was deeply connected to her spiritual home with the Seattle Baha’i community.
Melanie received her primary education at Milton School in Rye, NY, and completed her high school education at Rye High School in Rye, NY. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA.
Melanie is survived by her loving sons, Julian Grimes of NY, NY and Benjamin Grimes of Durham, NC, her granddaughter, Eva Grimes, her brother Hank Kornfeld and her sister Nancy Danielle Rudess. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Charles Grimes.
In memory of Melanie, contributions can be made to the Mona Foundation (https://www.monafoundation.org) and Homeopathy for Health in Africa (https://homeopathyforhealthinafrica.org). These organizations align with Melanie’s values and causes she held dear.
A life well lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. Melanie Joy Grimes will be dearly missed, and her legacy will endure through the lives she impacted. May she rest in peace.
Thanks,
Ben
