Robert Rice

Robert J. "Bob" Rice, died Monday, April 21, 2008, at Stormont-Vail Hospital with his wife and daughter at his side. He was 91 years old. Mr. Rice was born in Topeka on December 20, 1916, to Samuel J. and Mary M. Rice. He attended Topeka schools and graduated from Topeka High School in 1935. He attended Kansas University.
He married Lillian M. White on January 5, 1942 in Erie, Kansas. He is survived by his wife and daughter, Sandra Rice Brown of Ragland, AL; three grandsons: Sean E. and Kevin C. Lamberd, and Robert F. Combahee; and three great-grandsons. He was preceded in death by two half-brothers, Forrest L. and Lyman E. Rice.
He worked as a draftsman for the Kansas Inspection Bureau and the Kansas Ordinance Plant in Parsons, Kansas. He served as an officer in the Army Signal Corps attached to Military Intelligence. After WWII he was employed by the Kansas Inspection Bureau, and then joined the Home Insurance Company as a fieldman, appraiser and fire protection supervisor and later moved to Hays, Kansas where he was a field supervisor for the National Fire Insurance Company. Robert and Lillian moved to Colorado in 1968. He retired from his own agency in 1982.
He was elected Most Loyal Grand Gander of the Honorable Order of the Blue Goose, an international insurance fraternity, at a convention in Banff, Alberta, Canada in 1983. He was past president of the Kansas State Fire Protection Association and past Commodore of the Shawnee Yacht Club.
He was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church and a Deacon; a member of the American Legion Post #1; Orient Lodge #51, AF&AM; Topeka Scottish Rite and the Arab Shrine.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner's Children's Hospital Travel Fund, c/o Arab Shrine, 1305 S. Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612.
Mr. Rice was cremated. Memorial services will be held at 11 am, Saturday, April 26 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1275 Boswell, Topeka. To leave a special message for the family online, visit www.PenwellGabel.com.