Pearl G. Rice

Pearl Glover Rice was born on July 9, 1935, in Palmetto, Louisiana to the union of Joseph and Sovelia Orville Glover. She grew to womanhood in Washington and Opelousas, Louisiana alongside her sisters and brothers. Pearl met her husband, George H. Rice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They moved to New Orleans and made it their home. To their union two children were born: Rick V. Rice and Rana T. Rice. Pearl departed this life on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. She gets to rest peacefully now. She was 88 years old.

Pearl loved the Lord and was a fighter. She was quick-witted and kind. She was intelligent and funny. She was generous but watched every dime. Her life cannot adequately be summarized here, but here is a glimpse.

Pearl and her sisters were lovingly called the Glover Girls. They were devoted to their mother, MaMa. Many cousins remember gathering around MaMa’s table where they would engage in stories, games, laughter, ribbing, and the occasional beverage. They shared memories of their youth - good times and hard times.

Pearl grew up playing basketball with her sisters. In another time the Glover Girls might have dominated the WNBA. She was also a majorette in her youth. But her respect for education is what reigned supreme. She taught fourth grade at Holy Ghost School after graduating high school. She left Opelousas to attend business school and later worked at Southern University where she met her husband-to-be, George.

One of the things Pearl and George had in common was cooking. Each claimed they taught the other how to cook. They definitely both knew their way around the kitchen! Pearl made delicious seafood gumbo, scrumptious stuffed shrimp, tasty stuffed mirlitons, and creamy red beans and rice.

Pearl worked for the federal government for almost her entire professional career. Her tenacity in fighting workplace injustices, her skill at completing her work, and her compassion in dealing with clients led to her ascending ten grade levels over the course of her career.

In her retirement, she explored many interests to fill her newfound free time. At the community center, she tried German classes, Tai Chi and even belly dancing. But nothing captured her attention and her heart like the birth of her grandchildren, Kiran, Micah and Maritza. She loved them dearly, co-parented them, and saw them through adulthood. She will always be their Mimi.

Pearl is preceded in death by her husband, George H. Rice; parents, Joseph and Sovelia Orville Glover; sisters, Margaret Anderson, Josephine Glover, Olevia Mayo and Ethel Roberts; brothers, Golden Glover and Earnest Taylor; mother and father-in-law, Arrola and John L. Rice, Sr.; nieces Sylvia Williams, Myra Richard and Patricia Vidito; and nephews, Michael Fontenot, Jonathan Anderson, Gerard Mayo, and Michael Richard. Pearl is survived by her children, Rick Rice of Boston, Massachusetts and Rana Rice of Cypress, Texas; grandchildren, Kiran Pascascio, Micah Pascascio and Maritza Pascascio; sister, Beulah Richard; brother, Jonathan Glover; and a host of nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

A visitation for Pearl will be held Sunday, July 7, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Paradise Funeral Home, Inc, 10401 West Montgomery, Houston, TX 77088. A prayer service will immediately follow from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A funeral mass will be held on Monday, July 8, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, 11507 Huffmeister Rd, Houston, TX 77065. The committal service will be held on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, 3421 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119.