Elizabeth Anne Rice

Elizabeth Anne Pratt Rice, age 94, of Laurel Springs, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on October 26, 2025, leaving behind a lifetime of laughter, learning, and love - along with too many adventures to count, a few unbeatable Word Chums' scores, and an unparalleled love for the Phillies.
Born January 18, 1931, to William and Adeline Pratt, Betty grew up in Hi-Nella and Laurel Springs, NJ and attended St. Lawrence School before graduating from Camden Catholic High School in 1949, where she proudly played bugle in the Drum & Bugle Corps - and possibly caused more than a few neighborhood dogs to howl during practice.
After graduation, Betty worked as a secretary until she decided that the adventure of a lifetime sounded much better. On December 13, 1952, she married Joseph Rice who was serving in the U.S. Air Force. A few months after the ceremony, she hopped a ship across the Atlantic to join him in France-armed with courage, curiosity, and her high school French. From there to New Jersey, Louisiana, Georgia, Germany, New Jersey again, and Texas, Betty and Joe raised four kids (and a few pets too) while collecting stories the family still laughs about - and occasionally disputes.
After Joe's passing in 1973, Betty moved back to NJ with her two sons and did something bold: she went back to school. She earned two degrees in Social Work from Rutgers University (BSW in 1979, MSW in 1981), proving that it's never too late to start fresh - even if your kids are still asking you for help with their homework.
While studying at Rutgers, Betty co-founded the HOPE Program (Helping Other People Evolve), which began as a fieldwork project and grew into a lifeline for thousands of widowed individuals. The first group met in 1979, and today there are chapters all over New Jersey and beyond - even on Zoom. In other words, Betty went viral before it was cool. She was employed as a social worker for the Camden County Office on Aging until her retirement, providing support and resources for seniors throughout the area while also making lasting friendships with her coworkers.
Betty believed in showing up - for her friends, her neighbors, and her community. Her lifelong volunteer resume reads like a master class in community spirit: Scout leader, camp director, American Red Cross volunteer at Ft. Dix Hospital, Laurel Springs Auxiliary member, Walt Whitman House Committee member and secretary, and HOPE director/board member for decades. Betty was a proud member of the Red Hat Society's "Blushing Violets" group with her dear friends, proving that style, sass, and sisterhood only get stronger with age. She also played in a monthly dominoes group, participated in drum circles, and worked out for 10 years with her inspiring personal trainer, James, beginning in her 80s. She loved coffee, red wine, Lena's gelati, books, music, movies, board games, browsing on her iPad, dreaming up Christmas Eve fun, finding unusual gift items online, and traveling with family and friends. Her favorite tradition was the annual "siblings' trip" with her brother Bill, sister Jeannette, and cousin Sandy - a guaranteed recipe for laughter, sightseeing, and at least one story that couldn't be told in church.
Preceding Betty in death were her husband Joe, her parents William and Adeline Pratt, and her sister Adeline Hause. She is survived by her sister Jeannette Baines, brother Bill Pratt (Donna), and her loving children Jane Bye (Richard), Kathleen Kardon (Michael Hardy), Joseph Rice (Denise), and William Rice (Patrice), who inherited her humor, her compassion, and her competitive streak (especially in board games). She is survived by lots of nieces and nephews on both the Pratt and Rice sides whom she loved dearly, as well as her many friends and neighbors who enriched her life and provided her with much support as she grew older.
Betty's greatest joy was her family - and there are a lot of them to love. She was endlessly proud of her 16 grandchildren who dubbed her the coolest Granny ever: Kristinn (Patrick) Sharpe, Ryan (Vicki) Leonhart, Jordan Leonhart, Alana Kardon, Rachel Kardon, Eli Kardon, Sarah (Miles) Durham, Bonnie (David) Williams, Susan (Corey) Turnell, Nicole (Tyler) Davis, Ellie (Blane) Woodfin, Brooke (Nate) Siegler, Abigail (Kyle) Louis, Alexandra Rice (Jake Fuller), Beck Rice, and Billy Rice Jr.
Her legacy grew with her 27 great-grandchildren: Jackson Sharpe (Jorjia Morgan), Lucy Sharpe, Gabriel Vazquez, Augustus Sharpe, Sofia Vazquez, John Sharpe, Asher and Alden Leonhart, Oren Adams, Aden, Abram, Khalil, and Rena Harris, Aidan McHan, Allyson Turnell, Elle, Beck, and Jack Durham, Emery, Luke, and Ada Williams, Reagan and Harper Davis, Tucker and Tripp Woodfin, and Nash and Jax Siegler.
2 great-great-grandchildren, Zoe and Zayne Sharpe, have begun one more generation-proof that Betty's family tree keeps branching out, just like her stories.
Betty's life was rich in purpose and sprinkled with humor. She lived with open arms, a quick wit, and an endless curiosity for what's next. Her legacy is one of compassion, connection, and contagious joy - a life well-lived, a family well-loved, and a Phillies team forever cheered.
So in Betty's honor, play a game, laugh hard, travel often, lend a helping hand, and always, always root for the Phillies.
Relatives and friends are invited to her viewing on Saturday, November 1st, 2025, from 12:00PM - 1:00PM, at the COSTANTINO-PRIMO FUNERAL HOME, 231 W. White Horse Pike, Berlin, NJ. Funeral Service 1:00PM. Interment will take place privately.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the HOPE Program at hopesnj.org or to the Sacred Heart Parish at sacredheartofcamden.com.