Arlene "Sunshine" Rice

Arlene Rice, 89, of Fernandina Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on November 18, 2025.
Arlene was born on February 25, 1936, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the fifth eldest of fourteen children. After her mother passed suddenly in 1951, Arlene helped care for her younger siblings, where she established a reputation for selfless service to others and a spirit of care and kindness that continued throughout her life.
In 1967, she married the love of her life Larry Rice. They raised family in a fun and loving home, gathering many friends where her door was always open and a pot of coffee was always percolating. If she saw someone in need, she would do whatever she could do to help. Be it driving them about, giving advice, a big hug, or supplying a much-needed warm coat, nothing was too much for her to help another.
In 2011, she moved to the warmth of Florida and began a second chapter as OC£Florida ArleneOCØ, where she developed a taste for sunshine, seafood, the good life, and made multiple new friends. Here, she became an active member of the NewcomersOCÖ Club, the Amelia Island Boules Club, and various book clubs. Her spirit of service continued in large and small ways, regularly driving her friends to doctor appointments and volunteering with Baptist Medical Auxiliary (Nassau) where she earned the nickname OC£SunshineOCØ because of her radiant personality.
A loving mother, a devoted friend, and a great storyteller with a whip and smart sense of humor, Arlene is preceded in death by her loving husband, Lawrence (Larry), and is survived by her two cherished daughters Colleen (John Hodge) and Cynthia (Giles Hanson), and countless relatives and friends who comprise her extended, loving family.
A funeral mass will be held at St. Michael Catholic Church on Wednesday, November 26, 2025 at 11AM, reception to follow.
Rather than flowers, please consider a donation to Joy To The Children on the website joytothechildren.org/give-donations