Curry Lee Rice, 62, of Coleman Falls, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 10, 2020 at Lynchburg General Hospital after a brief illness. Curry was the best friend and loving husband to Donna Rice for 33 years and father to his four legged children, Duke, Beau, and Chi Chi.
Curry was born on July 5, 1957 to the late Herbert D. Rice, Sr. and Della Vest Rice. He was the grandson of the late Benjamin and Sallie Rice and Andrew and Isabelle Vest. Other than his parents and grandparents, Curry was proceeded in death by two brothers, Pete Rice and Ricky Rice and his mother-in-law, Dianna McCulloch.
In addition to his wife, Curry is survived by a brother, Claude (Boo) Rice and his wife Sharon and their sons, Brandon and Dakota; sister-in-law, Dannette Petty and her husband John and their children, Johanna, Kristin, Cody, and Cara; brother-in-laws, Gene Ayers, Jr. and Billy Ayers and his children Jarett and Tori; father-in-laws, Gene P. Ayers, Sr. and his wife Wanda and Dan F. McCulloch; special uncle who was like a father to him, Ryland Rice; two aunts, Ann White and Katherine Brown; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins, with a special cousin Calvin Rice and his wife Mary Jane.
Curry was an avid hunter and enjoyed fishing on the James River with his best friend, Kevin Booth.
Curry had lots of special people in his life and he loved his family and friends especially his friends at his second home Boonboro Auto Clinic where he loved spending his time with Kevin, Amy, Earl, and Chaney. Curry had a special place in his heart for his niece, Cara who was the apple of her uncle Curry’s eye and he loved to brag about her to everyone. He often said Cara was the daughter he never had.
Curry retired from the Lynchburg Fire Department in 2012 after 32 years of service as a dedicated firefighter and later as a captain. As well as a firefighter, Curry also had his own lawn care business.
Curry will be remembered as a man that lived a simple life and was a hard worker to provide a good life for himself and his “bride” Donna. He would help anyone that needed help in their time of need. He will be dearly missed by his wife, family, and friends.
Donna and his brother, Claude, would like to thank the doctors and nurses in the CTICU unit for the excellent care given to Curry. They would also like to thank all of the family and friends for being there for them at this time of need.
Due to the current restrictions on gatherings, a graveside service will be held 2 pm on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at Fort Hill Memorial Park and will be streamed via facebook at facebook.com/whittenfuneralhome. There will be no formal visitation, however the funeral home will be open from 9 – 5 on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 for the public to pay their respects and sign the register. Please note that the funeral home staff will assist in maintaining the 10 person at a time and social distancing guidelines. You are encouraged to post a memory, note, or words of condolence to the family by going to the funeral home website at www.whittentimberlake.com. The family will also receive friends at the residence.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to St. Jude Children Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) or the Shriners.
