John Tice

1943 - 2023

John Tice
September 14, 1943 - May 31, 2023
Raleigh, North Carolina - Born in Roanoke, VA, to Benjamin John Tice of Floyd, VA. and Alice P. Tice of Roanoke VA, John Allan "Al" Tice, passed away with loved ones by his side. Al is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia Matzuk Tice his sons, Jeffrey Allan and Jason Michael and granddaughters, Allison and Katie Tice.
A graduate of William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Al later attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute, known widely as, "Virginia Tech," where he graduated in 1965 with honors and was member of the Corp of Cadets, playing clarinet in the Highty-Tighties band and later, in the US Army Band.
After achieving his master's degree at M.I.T. ('67), he worked tirelessly as a Geotechnical Engineer, only recently retiring after 50+ years with the same company, initially known as Law Engineering Testing Co., now part of the John Wood Group. While with the Virginia Highway Research Council, he honed his engineering skills close to home, before moving to Birmingham, AL. In 1974, Al and family settled in Raleigh, NC. Al continued his service to MIT during his professional years, as an educational counselor and admissions consultant.
While a quiet, humble professional, he was involved in projects globally, including helping with landslide recovery in Peru, in the 1980's. His profession also amplified his lifelong love of geology, through which he developed an impressive rock and gemstone collection. One of his most visible accomplishments was the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse relocation project, in 1999, where Al skillfully served as leader of the civil engineering team. That feat was awarded the National Outstanding Engineering Achievement accolade, by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Al was a well-known force in the field and greatly respected by his peers.
His love of music continued throughout his life, playing weekly up until the time of his passing. He was a charter member of the Raleigh Community Band, established in 1978, (now known as the Raleigh Concert Band) and was also a proud member of The Cary Town Band. He played annually at the July 4th celebrations at the NC State Capitol grounds. He loved to play Sousa, any lively march, and was accounted as an excellent clarinetist. He enjoyed listening to Classical music, Stan Kenton, Dave Brubeck and other Jazz giants from the time of his youth.
From an early age, he loved baseball and was a passionate and faithful follower of the St. Louis Cardinals. For many years, he was on the coaching staff of several youth teams. He recently attended two fantasy camps with the Cardinals, one in Florida and one in Cooperstown, NY, where he had an opportunity to meet, play with and even serve as a bench coach to some of his longtime heroes. In addition to the Cardinals, Al also faithfully followed his alma mater, the Hokies of Virginia Tech, as well as the NC State Wolfpack.
He was quite the bookworm, always with a stack of library books at hand, while also enjoying science fiction and mysteries, in books and on TV. He was always seeking to increase his knowledge of the world, consuming many documentaries and the, "Great Courses" programs. For a brief time he held his private pilot's license, prior to the birth of his first son. A love of travel, especially with family, took him to bucket list locations like Petra, in Jordan, Machu Picchu in Peru, Turkey, and Hawaii, as well as many US State and National Parks.
Al was also affectionately known for the most distinguished and memorable eyebrows on the planet!
The family would like to extend their appreciation to the Wake County EMS, Wake Medical Center ER Staff and Neurological critical care teams for their collective responsiveness, expertise and compassion.
He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Raleigh (http://gracelutheranraleigh.org/) where a Memorial service will be held, at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate any contributions to the Raleigh Concert Band, the Cary Town Band or the Civil Engineering programs at Virginia Tech.
https://theraleighconcertband.org
https://www.carytownband.org
https://give.vt.edu (select Civil Engineering as the recipient)