Roy W. "Bud" Grice

Roy W. 'Bud' Grice Roy W. 'Bud' Grice was my Dad. He was born on April 27, 1922, in Hutchinson, Kan. He died on May 18, 2007, in Boise, Idaho. I have been struggling with how to write his obituary -- trying to figure out a way to briefly tell my dad's story and yet give some meaning to the last four years of his life. Eventually I remembered that Dad spent much of his military career as a teacher; teaching ROTC both at the University of Idaho and the University of Alaska. Maybe telling people about his disease might serve as a learning experience. At least I think he would approve. Four years ago, Dad was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. It is a particularly cruel form of dementia that includes many of the symptoms of Parkinsons' Disease. First you have memory loss. Short term memory is an early casualty. Simple skills that you once took for granted are no longer possible and eventually your long term memories start to fade. However, you're on a roller coaster ride. Memories that have been gone for months temporarily return. You wake up in the middle of the night and can figure out how to unlock a complex locking mechanism at the door, but you cannot find your way back to the bedroom from the living room. You forget that you had a son that passed away several years ago, but you remember the football team that Johnny Unitas played for and his jersey number. And these events occur over and over again. Then the Parkinson's. The tremors start early, but initially you can conceal them. Then they become more incessant. Writing becomes harder, and eventually you cannot sign your name. Holding silverware without shaking is impossible; eventually more food falls on the table than gets into your mouth; and you end not being able to feed yourself at all. Your legs begin to stiffen and walking becomes difficult. Eventually you need a walker and finally you're confined to a wheelchair. "Hey! What's going on ? I used to run two miles every day, summer and winter. I won tennis tournaments, played golf and skied. I was on an athletic scholarship in college. Whose body is this?" But throughout the entire four year ordeal, the essence of Dad was always there. He continually struggled to maintain some small level of independence and dignity. He knew he was loved and he could return love. He responded to a soft touch and a warm embrace. Every now and then you could still see a little gleam in his eye and a flash of his dry sense of humor would come through. Even at the end, when he realized he was dying, he was concerned his wife would be okay -- but he had already taken care of that. Through hard work and thrift, he had accumulated a small estate and made sure the paperwork was in place so that she would never have to worry financially. These images are how the family will always remember Bud Grice. And now his story: Bud's parents were Roy D. and Blanche Grice. After living only a few years in Hutchinson, Kan., he and his parents, along with his sister Betty, packed up and headed west eventually settling in LaGrande, Ore. It was during the depression and life was hard, but the family survived. Bud graduated from LaGrande High School where he was a student body officer, ran on the track team and was a member of a state championship basketball team. After two years of college, and in the middle of World War II, Bud quit school and joined the Army Air Corp. He was accepted into flight school and was introduced to flying, which became one of his passions for the rest of his life. He became a fighter pilot in the Pacific. Near the end of the war he crashed a plane into the ocean and spent three days in a life raft before being rescued by a ship that just happened to be passing by. After the war Bud left the military, returned to LaGrande, and married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Wetzel. Soon after marrying Pat he enlisted in the Air Force and made the military his career. During the next 20 years Bud and Pat traveled throughout the world and had three children, Pete, Connee and Mike. Bud continued his flying and eventually achieved the rank of Lt. Colonel. At one point he was seriously considered for the U.S. Space Program. After retiring from the Air Force in 1965, Bud moved his family to Ketchum, Idaho, where he was one of the original partners in the Tamarack Motel. Civilian life was hard on the family, and after 22 years of marriage, Bud and Pat divorced, with Bud retaining custody of the two minor children and the family home in Sun Valley. Bud also returned to flying, first as an employee for Bud Newcomb out of Ketchum and eventually starting his own charter service in Hailey. In 1969 Bud started dating an old friend, Margaret Wall. In December 1969, he married Margaret and she became his love and confidant with whom he shared the rest of his life. In the late 1980s Bud retired from flying and in 2000 he and Margaret moved to Boise, where he lived until his death. Bud was preceded in death by his parents, Roy D. and Blanche Grice of LaGrande, his sister, Betty Christensen of Gilbert, Ariz., his first wife Patricia Davies of Boise, and his son, Michael P Grice of Ketchum, Idaho. Bud is survived by his wife Margaret M. Grice of Boise, his son Roy W. 'Pete' Grice, and his wife Beverly of Boise, his daughter, Connee S. Toothman and her husband Jim of Hailey, and Margaret's children, Craig and Sandy Wall of Greenbank, Wash., Kay Hopwood of Phoenix, Ariz., and Cris Mink of Boise. He is also survived by two grandchildren, five step-grandchildren and three very special great-grandchildren. Memorial services will be held later this summer in Ketchum, Idaho. The family would also like to extend their undying gratitude to the staff at Emerson House in Garden City, Idaho. They helped the family a year ago when we were placed in a very difficult situation. The care and love they showed Bud during his last year of life will always be remembered. Special thanks also to XL Hospice who made Bud's last weeks more bearable, both physically and spiritually.