John Thomas Rife

John Thomas Rife John Thomas Rife passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 15th. He was born on August 31, 1956 in Fort Worth, Texas to parents Thomas Ellison Rife and Lelia Merle Rife. John grew up in Hurst where he attended Euless Trinity High School. Upon graduation, John attended the University of Texas in Austin. After graduating from The University of Texas in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising, John's passion for travel led him on many adventures around the world. It is during this time, he developed his passion for wine - a passion that would ultimately turn into a career. John, a huge UT fan settled back in Austin, Texas in the early 1980s. He spent 5 years as Beverage Manager for the Stouffer Austin Hotel before joining Glazer's Distributors. He spent the last 18 years with this company in a variety of roles. John's love of food and wine took him all over the world and he ultimately fell in love with the ocean. John became certified in scuba diving and enjoyed many trips to beautiful locations all over the world. John was always up for any adventure and truly enriched the lives of everyone around him. Animals enriched John's life. His warm heart and love for animals led him to become involved in animal rescue causes. His latest adoption was Mimi, a Pomeranian that loved John as much as he cherished her. John is preceded in death by both of his parents and sister, Faye Hale. He is survived by his loving niece, Amanda Degard of Chicago, Illinois and brother-in-law, Pat Hale, of Plano, Texas as well as countless cousins, aunts, uncles and the dearest group of friends anyone could hope for. The family is so very thankful for the many friends and family for their support and prayers during John's final days. A Memorial Celebration will be held at Wink Restaurant, 1014 N. Lamar in Austin, Texas from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 22nd. In lieu of flowers, the family asks contributions be made to AIDS Services of Austin or Hospice Austin's The Christopher House. Due to John's love for UT and tropical islands for dives, we ask that you wear either UT orange or tropical attire to the celebration in John's honor.