Richard Barrett Rice, life-long resident of Webster Groves and Kirkwood, passed away peacefully at age 77 on August 2, 2022, fortified with the sacraments of Holy Mother Church.
He graduated from Bishop DuBourg High School in 1962 and St. Louis University in 1967 with a degree in Business. He was the beloved father to his five children Stephen (Dina) Rice, James (Anna Kay) Rice, Amanda (David) Rice, Kathleen (Lev) Rice-Guter, and Robert Rice; and was the beloved grandfather to his three grandchildren Pearson Rice, Kaden Rice, and Dylan Rice. He is survived by four siblings Tim (Virginia) Rice, Jerry (Maryann) Rice, Mary Ann Wagner, and Molly (Don) Fogel. He was preceded in death by his parents Edwards and Althea Rice, his mentor Walter Goodenough, and his sister Penny (Joe) Turek.
Richard (also known as “Rich” and “Dick” for periods of his adult life) was the founder and president of Webster-Kirkwood Painting and Contracting from 1989 until his total disability in 2008. He prided himself on being an honest contractor, caring boss, skilled businessman, and master of color and design. Through his company, he touched the lives of many Webster and Kirkwood residents and their families. On drives through the neighborhoods, he could point out block-by-block the homes that he had helped to rehabilitate and transform. These homes serve as part of his legacy.
Richard placed extreme value in the importance of family and strove to be the best father that he could. He was an involved parent and took pride in attending his kids’ practices, games, talks, plays, school dances, recitals, and teacher conferences. He strove to truly know his kids’ friends and took advantage of any opportunity to join in for school lunches or watching playground activities from afar. He coached baseball, hockey, lacrosse, and basketball; supported local high school athletics; and never missed a Webster-Kirkwood Turkey Day game.
A memorial service will be held at Eliot Unitarian Chapel on Saturday, August 13, 2022, 2 p.m., at 216 E Argonne Drive, Kirkwood.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Shepherd’s Center, an organization that greatly assisted Richard in his final years: https://shepherdscenter-wk.org.
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