Shirley JoAnne Rice

Shirley Zirbel Rice was born December 3, 1934, in Mason City, Iowa, daughter of Herbert and Ella Frenz Zirbel, and sister to Lyle Zirbel, Alice Graves, and Herman Zirbel (all deceased).

Also preceded in death by her beloved husband Donald Rice, Shirley is survived by her three children LuAnn (Darrell) Brown, Spokane, WA; Kay (Jim) Zahn, Tempe, AZ; and Rusty Morris, Gilbert, AZ; her step-daughter and step-son, Linda Rice and Steve Rice, Phoenix, AZ; her grandchildren Candace and Mattison Morris, Tyler and Jamie Zahn, Justin (Shannon) Roths, Eli Brown, and Kyle Olsen, Brandon and Erica Rice; her great-grandchildren Cayden Morris and Roman Roths; and her beloved Sugar.

Shirley graduated from Mason City High School (IA) in 1953, and was married soon after to Carroll Morris. She began her career as a mother in 1956. Her love of life led her to begin a successful career in real estate in 1974 in Clear Lake, Iowa, and ultimately in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 1980 she married Don Rice, and they spent 19 happy years together in Scottsdale, AZ.

After Don passed, Shirley and Sugar lived many years with her friends in the Riviera Retirement Community. In the past few years Shirley was a kidney dialysis patient; she and Sugar lived her last year with her daughter, Kay, and her husband, Jim. She leaves a family who will miss her forever and are filled with gratitude for having her in our lives.

Visitation will be held at 1:00 PM, Monday, March 2, 2015 in Green Acres Mortuary with the Funeral Service to follow in Green Acres Chapel of Light, located at 401 N. Hayden Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85257.