Richard Stell Brice

Richard Stell Brice passed away on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at the age of 84 in Austin, Texas. He left this world surrounded and comforted by his children Jason and Leslie, and his grandchildren Jaxon, Winston, and Sidney Jane. He is survived by brothers David and Fred, sister Sharon, and nieces Peyton and Melissa (Missy).

Richard was born in Sulphur Springs, Texas, on March 20, 1936 to Kenneth Stell and Sidney Jane Brice.

After earning degrees in Math and Physics, Richard achieved career successes that most can only imagine. His team at NASA created the Lunar Lander simulator that the Apollo Astronauts used to practice landing on the Moon; his team at the Los Alamos National Laboratory wrote the operating system for the first Cray-1 Supercomputers; his teams at MCC and Telcordia conducted pioneering research into what would later become technologies like streaming digital services and "Big Data" analysis. He maintained a life-long passion for science and learning, and taught Computer Science classes at the University of Texas (where he earned his Ph. D. in 1973) part time from the late 1990's until his retirement in 2004.

Richard was an accomplished musician, playing the trumpet, guitar, and piano. His love of music was a cornerstone of the family's interactions; no holiday or gathering was complete without a record playing joyous songs or him sitting at the piano "tickling the ivories."

Richard was also a natural chef - he didn't follow recipes, but his masterful creations live on in Brice family dinners. He loved spicy food and was renowned for his salsa and blistering New Mexican green chili dishes.

To his children, Richard was a hero who stood taller than all others. He demonstrated the value of earning an education, doing hard work, treating all living things with kindness, and keeping a sense of humor about life even when prospects seem dire. His example continues to be an inspiration to his family.

He is loved, and will be missed.