Charles Murray RICE

RICE, Charles Murray


Charles Murray Rice of Simsbury, passed away early Tuesday morning (May 21, 2013) with family members present at Avon Health Center, where he was provided loving care and respect for the past six weeks, after a short illness. He was born November 6, 1922 in Hartford, and was the son of Louis Haskell Rice and Gulielma Marie Rice and the brother of Marjorie Rice Rosenbaum. He grew up in West Hartford but spent most of his adult life living and working in Simsbury. Charlie was a graduate of Hall High School and the University of Connecticut, where he was a member of the Eta Lambda Sigma Fraternity and the track team, and the University of Connecticut Law School. He set the un-official half mile record of the old Madison Square Garden in the 1946 IC4A championships while at UConn. He served in the United States Air Force during World War II in the Pacific Theater including New Guinea, Australia, Philippines and Japan, He had a full and accomplished life and career as a husband, father, grandfather, lover of dogs, lawyer, judge, commercial real estate developer, home designer and builder, musician, jazz concert promoter and entrepreneur. He designed and built homes in Simsbury, CT, Cape Cod, MA and Watch Hill, RI. He created and built Simsburytown Shops as well as many commercial properties on the east side of Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury center from the U.S. Post Office to Wilcox Street. Charlie had a case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1960's. He was a founding member of the Constitution National Bank. He was the principal partner and a member of the last private ownership group of the Heublein Tower property. Outside of his family, his real passion was jazz music where he excelled as a child saxophone player with his sister Marjorie on WDRC on a weekly radio show. He played in the UCONN band as well as in bands in Sydney, Australia during the war and with many bands as an adult including those with his favorite band mates Nick Casciano, Stuart Hall, Mike Fierri, Ed Jones, Judge Wright, Lou Ball, Bill Moeller, Russ Sweet, Art Chouinard and Charlie's sister Marjorie. His highlight may have been when he played with the Count Basie Orchestra in the early 1970's at the Opera House at the Sign of the Dog in Simsbury, which was a venue he designed and built. Later in life, he became a jazz concert promoter and he brought several big jazz entertainers to the Farmington Valley for a series of concerts. Charlie was predeceased by his wife, Marabeth Dowd Rice, who died 21 years to the day of his death. He is survived by his second wife, Rosa M. Hermann; his sister, Marjorie Rice Rosenbaum and her husband Robert A. Rosenbaum of Middletown, as well as his five sons and their families: Charles M. Rice, Jr. of St. Paul, MN, Christopher D. Rice and his wife Peggy of Weatogue, Stephen D. Rice and his wife Marie of Framingham, MA, Timothy D. Rice and his wife Anne of Gilford, NH and Hugh M. Rice of Weatogue. He is also survived by eight grandchildren - Matthew Rice, Charles Fenton Rice, Katherine Rice, Guy Rice, Connor Rice, Samantha Rice, Mackenzie Rice and Meghan Rice.
Calling hours are Thursday, May 23rd from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Vincent Funeral Home, 880 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury. Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, May 24, 10 a.m. at St Mary's Church, 942 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, CT. Donations in lieu of flowers could be made to "Mothers Against Drunk Driving", 317 Foxon Road, East Haven, CT 06513. Please visit Charlie's "Book of Memories" at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online condolences.