Robert K. Rice

1925 - 2013

Rice, Robert K. SAN DIEGO-- Robert K. Rice, "Bob" to his friends and family, passed away of natural causes on Thursday evening, July 25, 2013 with family at his side. Bob was born in Ogden, Utah, to Adrian Leonard and Maude (Fullmer) Rice on May 30, 1925. He grew up in Berkeley and always identified himself as a Californian. Bob enlisted in the US Army as soon as he turned 18 and served in France in a combat engineers battalion; he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in June, 1945. After the war, he served as quartermaster of a salvage repair depot and fire marshal of Bamberg, Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and came home to Berkeley to begin his college career, thanks to the GI Bill, at the University of California. He was proud to be a founding member of the UC Men's Octet, a world-renowned a cappella singing group. In 1948, Bob met his future wife, Janet Streshly, as she was playing piano for the Treble Clef Society. Janet and Bob were married in December of their senior year and graduated in June 1950. In the summer of 1951, Bob was hired to teach 4th grade at La Jolla Elementary. By 1961, he was principal of Twain. He would serve as principal of many San Diego schools including Beale, Grant, Oak Park, Sessions, Crown Point, Keiller, and Cleveland - punctuated by two years on loan to the Department of Education in Sacramento from 1971-73 - until he retired in 1985. He earned a master's degree (SDSU) and doctorate (UCLA) in education. Bob is survived by his wife of 63 years, Janet Streshly Rice, and their four daughters: Sally Fox (Larry) of Spring Valley, Barbara Mitchum (Jeff) of San Diego, Joyce Sammons (Butch, deceased) of Lakeside, and Jean Davis (Brian) of Nordland, Washington. Bob had four beloved grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be at First United Methodist Church, 2111 Camino del Rio South on Saturday, August 17th, at 11 a.m. A buffet lunch and celebration of life at noon in Linder Hall following the service.