Mary Rice Kidder

Mary Barbara Rice Kidder, age 70, of Moody, Texas passed away Saturday, February 12th, 2022 at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System after a month-long battle with endocarditis and pneumonia. Mary was born on March 15, 1951 in Churchville, NY to Winthrop Huntington Rice II and Mary Elizabeth Slack Rice. She married Timothy James Kidder, Sr on April, 5 1969 and has four children Rebecca Kidder of Temple, Roberta Kidder of Helotes, Elizabeth (Michael) Gutierrez of Belton, and Timothy Kidder Jr. of Temple. She enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in 1976 and served for 3 years before beginning her career as a nurse.

Mary loved learning and progressed from a nursing assistant to a Licensed Vocational Nurse before completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1982 from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She served the Central Texas community faithfully for over 30 years as a nurse in numerous departments at Baylor Scott & White Health before retiring on the Oncology floor at the Central Texas VA Health Care System in 2013.

Mary enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family. She looked forward to weekly family dinner nights with board games and puzzles and attending sporting events of her grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents Winthrop and Elizabeth Rice, her brothers Winthrop Huntington Rice III, John Rice, her sister Stephanie Smith all of NY and her granddaughter Kimberlyn Longbotham of Temple, Tx. She is survived by her husband, children and 3 grandchildren, Jayme Kidder of Helotes Tx., Isabelle and Braden Gutierrez of Belton, Tx, and her siblings Pat (Jay) Witter of NY, Sue Brown of OH, and Mike (Martha) Rice of NY.

Her memorial service, with military honors, will be held at 2:00pm Thursday, March 10th, 2022 at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, 11463 State Hwy 195, Killeen, Texas 76542.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mary Kidder may be made in support of the Vasicek Cancer Treatment Center at Baylor Scott & White or the Disabled American Veterans Charity.