Joseph William Rice Sr.

Born May 8, 1932, Joseph was a hardworking man. Though he worked a wide variety of jobs over the years, he spent his primary years working as Maintenance Supervisor for the Walden Pond Apartment Complex, receiving awards he still talked about, retiring after more than 15 years with the company. Outside of work, Joseph was an avid outdoorsman and loved to be doing anything outdoors whether that was fishing and especially mowing the grass. He enjoyed watching NASCAR and rooting for his favorite drivers. Beyond all this, Joseph was proud of his military service, having served for the U.S. Army and fighting in Korea.

Those left to cherish Joseph’s memory include his loving wife Shirley Mays Rice; his son Billy Rice, Jr. and his wife Linda of Rustburg; and his sisters Jane “Tina” Andrews and Faye Maxie.

There will be a graveside service for Joseph on Friday, April 10, 2026 at Fort Hill Memorial Park at 1pm, officiated by Pastor Carlton Duck. The family invites all in attendance to join them at Joseph’s residence after the service.