Beverly Anne Rice, 85, of Virginia Beach, went to be with the Lord Wednesday, May 3, 2017. She was born in New Orleans Oct. 3, 1931.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin I. And Lula Mae (Deakins) Braud; as well as her husband, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Russell H. Rice.
She is survived by her sisters, Peggy Goza of Dallas and Joycelyn Schwandt of New Orleans; as well as her children, Christopher (Patsy) Rice of Richmond, Va., Chad (Marie) Rice, Marchelle (Todd) Marsalek; and grandchildren, Justin Rice and Megan Rice of Virginia Beach.
Beverly was a trend setter who sewed her own clothes as a teenager when she didn’t see what she wanted in stores and her friends would copy her newfound styles. She met her husband ‘Nick’ Rice, an anatomy instructor at the time, while she was attending LSU. Upon his enlistment in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict, they were married in New Orleans. She served with Officer Wives Club members during his career which took them to California, Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Colorado, and then Arlington, Va.
Upon retirement, they settled in Virginia Beach and opened several retail business in the Hilltop area. Her love of gardening led her to fill their and friend’s pantries with homegrown organic food that overflowed from behind their Alanton home. She will also be remembered by her friends at the ARE, where she volunteered on a regular basis.
The family will receive friends at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, with a memorial service following at noon at the H.D. Oliver Funeral Home, 2002 Laskin Road Chapel, Virginia Beach. Interment will follow in the Eastern Shore Chapel Cemetery, located directly behind the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the COPD Foundation, 3300 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Miami, FL 33134.
Online condolences may be made to the family hdoliver.com.
