Rebecca "Becky" Rice Romano

Rebecca "Becky" Rice Romano, age 62, originally of Tuscaloosa, AL, passed peacefully in her sleep from cancer on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at home in Orange Beach, AL. Becky was a graduate of Tuscaloosa High School ('72) and received her bachelor's degree from Livingston University and her Master of Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In her 30-year teaching career, Becky transformed countless lives of students, parents,and colleagues, but her lifelong love of and passion for education extended well beyond her classroom. With her family, her dear friends who were her extended family, and the young people she reached through her volunteerism, Becky--with her beautiful, crooked smile and contagious laugh--taught everyone the joy of a life in Christ, the importance of wonder and curiosity, and what cornbread dressing is supposed to taste like.

Becky was preceded in death by her father Frank Auxford Rice, sister Charlotte Louise Rice, and brother Frank Auxford Rice II. She is survived by her mother Mrs. Frank Auxford Rice ("Dot"); husband Ted Romano; son Stacy N. Williams IV and his wife, Kimberly; daughter Monica A. Romano; granddaughter Kinley Kristen Williams; siblings Shirley Rice McMillan, Lola Rice Niehuss, Sally Rice Brown and her husband, Will, and William "Bill" E. Rice, and his wife, Laura; many beloved nieces and nephews; and Bitsy the wonder dog.

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 22, 2016, at 11:00 am at Orange Beach United Methodist Church in Orange Beach, AL, with funeral service at 12:00 noon and reception following. A second visitation will be held on Sunday, July 24th from 1:00-2:00 pm at Heritage Chapel Funeral Home in Tuscaloosa, AL with the committal service beginning at 3:00 pm at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Under His Wings, A Home of Christian Hope for Girls, a ministry Becky was proud to support: P. O. Box 91, Robertsdale, AL 36567