Raymond Wilson Rice

Raymond Wilson Rice, born in the little Kansas town of Lebo in 1921. Helped at his Grandfather's General store and his father's Furniture store when he wasn't in school. During school days he hitched a horseback ride from Mary Uhlman as she was coming from her father's farm to the town school. They were married in 1938 and lived in the nearby city of Emporia until the war got in the way a few years later.

He joined the Navy in 1943 and shipped out on the Destroyer USS Howorth for the Pacific. Many of the major battles found him and his ship in the pitch of battle, Okinawa being the big one that almost sunk them by a kamikaze plane. He never spoke about those days much, just get that thousand mile stare and become quiet if asked about them.

Later Mary and Ray adopted a baby and built a house in Emporia to settle down in the grocery business. But that didn't last too long as his best friend and cousin Clair moves out to California and spoke of mild winters and bigger paychecks. That summer in 1955 they drove out to visit and Ray was hired by Alpha Beta markets.

They settled in Costa Mesa, Mary became a bleach blonde and little Ray learned to surf during the next decade. Later on little Ray went into the Force well after the family moved to Sunnyvale in northern California. Ray retired in 1980 and found gardening his new love with strawberry patches and anything else that was good tasting.

The neighbors would see him sweeping, raking or mowing grass most times if he wasn't walking Pepe down the block. While Ray was working he would be on his feet walking many miles a day and he never stopped being active until the last few years. Always a smile to folks even when he didn't recognize them.

Mary and Ray had been married for almost 67 years when she passed away in 2005. That was also around the time he found out about the dementia. The next year he moved in with his son Ray and his wife Yang, they enjoyed a good peaceful life for quite a while. Pepe at his side until the end on July 6, 2014.

Ray was a beloved Husband, Father, Brother, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and a good man that taught by example and few words. "Work hard, only buy what you can pay for, help your neighbors more than is expected and have a good word for everyone you meet."

"I am the man that my father taught me to be but will never be half the man he was."

Forever loved, never forgotten,

Your son,

Ray