John Michael Rice

Rice, John Michael
John Michael Rice passed away on Tuesday, April 5, from complications of cancer. John was born in Bethlehem, PA, where he graduated from Liberty High School. He earned a bachelor's degree at Penn State University. Upon graduation from Penn State, he enlisted in the Army and attended the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. He then served in the Vietnam War, working as a translator and communications specialist. John was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service in Vietnam. On discharge from the Army, he settled in Salinas, CA, where he used his translation skills to assist the Vietnamese community. He worked as a counselor at Hartnell College in Salinas before beginning a 38-year career with the Veterans Administration. In 1981, he married Hong Trinh. They had one daughter, Rose Elizabeth. John returned to school, attending San Francisco State University and earning a master's degree in business administration. In 2002, John and his family relocated to Peoria, AZ. He was serving as the valuation officer at the VA Regional Loan Center in Phoenix when he retired in 2009. As a youth, John was a comic book collector and at one time he had every issue of Mad magazine. He enjoyed sports such as tennis, ping-pong and billiards, and he was a baseball fan who rooted for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. He also enjoyed traveling across the country with his family. John was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Glendale, where he and his daughter sang in the choir. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth Ann and John Sherman Rice. He is survived by his wife, Hong; his daughter, Rose Elizabeth; his sister, Patricia Williams of Chapel Hill, NC; three nephews, Jim, John and Tom Williams; and his stepmother, Nancy Rice of Whitehall, PA. A visitation will be held Monday, April 11, starting at 6 p.m., followed by a Scripture Service at 7 p.m., at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 6180 W. Utopia, Glendale. A funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, April 12, at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas More. Burial will held Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Choir of St. Thomas More.
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