Statton Buzz Rice

Statton Rice Obituary
Statton (Buzz) Rice
Independent scholar, writer
WOLFEBORO, NH – Statton (Buzz) Rice died at home Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, surrounded by family after a brief illness. He was 92.
A native of Harrisburg, Pa., Rice grew up in suburban Albany, N.Y., graduating from Bethlehem Central High School. He earned a B.A. in political science at the University of Wisconsin Madison. During the Korean War he served in the U.S. Navy as legal officer.
In graduate school at NYU where he earned a master's degree, Rice had a Ford Foundation fellowship and served as an intern on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood at Pittsburgh's public television station WQED. He was also an intern on NBC's Huntley-Brinkley Report. He produced his own show on astronomy and was fiercely committed to television as an educational tool as National Educational Television (NET) evolved into the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
In the 1960s, Rice joined the central administration of the State University of New York (SUNY) where he served as associate dean for about 10 years, participating in the development and improvement of SUNY branches around the state.
After a time in northern California, Buzz and his family moved to Arlington, Mass. to pursue his passion for education, in particular, the development of language. He earned a second master's degree at Harvard University in the early 1970s. A lifelong student, he focused on semiotics and theories of communication. A voracious reader, he wrote prolifically, and developed his own theory of signs, challenging some of John Locke's work. During these years, he also founded a company, Training Communication, Inc., where he developed training programs for industry. In 1990, the family moved to Wolfeboro year-round after years of enjoying summers on Winnipesaukee.
A feminist, Rice was especially concerned with girls' education, making sure his three daughters were solid in mathematics and language. He encouraged them to seek advanced degrees, which all three did. His immense spirit lives on in each daughter through their collective continued work as artists, writers, communicators, and lovers of nature.
In 2016, at age 84, he was thrilled to become a grandfather for the first time with the birth of Vida Lopez-Rice and again with the birth of a second granddaughter, Nima Lopez-Rice. Residing together with them and their parents, along with his wife, added many joy-filled years to his last chapter of life.
A lover of food and the art of cooking, Buzz was ever the enthusiastic taster and critic. He'd often "place an order" for specialty items with his NYC-based daughters Carla and Marni on their visits north. For the last 13 years, he has delighted in serving as adviser and sounding board for his daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Steven's business, La Boca of Wolfeboro. Entrepreneurial by nature, he marveled at their talents and relished the group 'business meetings' at cocktail hour on the screen porch.
Family members include: his wife Catherine (Cate) McMahon; his daughters Carla Rice and Marni Rice from his first marriage; his daughter Elizabeth McMahon Rice and her husband Estebins (Steven) Lopez; his sister Peggy Prichett of Philadelphia; granddaughters Vida and Nima; nieces and nephews: Kerry, Pam and Harry Prichett; Jim, Tim and Karen (Love) Nuttall; and Matthew and Lee (Kelley) McMahon.
A memorial service is set for Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at All Saints Church, 258 S. Main St. at 2 p.m., followed by a reception. Contributions in Buzz's memory to the Harris-Walz ticket would delight him.
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