Judy Rice

Judy Rice, 71, of St. Joseph went home to her Lord & Savior Sunday, July 1, 2012 at home surrounded by her loving family. A celebration of life mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am, July 6, 2012 at St. Bernard Catholic Church with Father Bill Jacobs officiating. Friends may meet with the family from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm Thursday, July 5 at Starks & Menchinger Chapel with the Rosary being recited at 7:30 pm. Judy was born August 19, 1940 in Olean NY. A premie, she was the first incubator baby in the Olean Hospital. She was the daughter of the late Fred & Margaret (Weber) Nichols. Judy grew up in Indianapolis, IN graduating from Arsenal Technical High School in 1958. She moved to Michigan with her family in 1959. She was the founder and co-owner of Rapid Print where her hard work allowed the business to grow and prosper. She had a special dedication to her church, St. Bernard Catholic Church. She very much enjoyed serving funeral luncheons, the Catholic Community Center and the Soup Kitchen. She enjoyed her family and was especially proud of her grandchildren, Nicholas, Victoria and Conner. She was a bird lover. She faithfully tended them every day and enjoyed God’s creations. In addition she was an excellent cook and loved to bless others with her home-made treats. She had a zest for life. In 1995 she lost her kidneys and in 1999 her daughter, Jennifer, donated a kidney to her which renewed her zest and allowed her and her husband to travel to all 50 states and many foreign trips and cruises. She was a staunch conservative who loved her country dearly with a fundamental appreciation of the constitution and free enterprise. She married Jim Rice on May 8, 1964 at St. John Catholic Church in Benton Harbor, MI. Together they celebrated 48 wonderful years. She is survived by her husband James L. Rice, two children, Jeff of Niles and Jennifer & Mike Dumont of St. Joseph, her grandchildren Nicholas Pisarsky, Victoria & Conner Rice, Sisters Penny & Eugene Hauch of Coloma & Patricia & Creston Hauch of Eau Claire, Brother and Sister-in-Law Ed & Tae Soon Rice of Sierra Vista, AZ & many nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous friends and loved ones. We will all miss her dearly.