Deborah M. Rice of Ringwood died peacefully on Jan. 22, 2024, from heart failure. She was 89.
Born in Binghamton, N.Y., on April 27, 1934, she was the only child of Arnold and Barbara Mitchell.
Deborah attended Endicott College, where she met her future husband, Donald Rice, visiting from Rochester University. They were married in 1956 in Binghamton and lived in San Diego, Calif.; Virginia Beach, Va.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, after Don’s naval aviation career. They ended up settling in Sparta for 12 years and Blairstown for more than 40 years.
Deborah eventually got her BA in English literature from Fairleigh Dickinson University in the 1970s and worked for a short period of time for Aruba Divi Divi Hotel Corp.
She loved her children and grandchildren and the many cats and dogs she rescued and cared for.
She loved to travel the world, satisfying her endless curiosity.
She was one of the first members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sussex County in Newton in the 1960s and she remained an active member until her death.
Deborah, predeceased by her husband, Donald, in May 2017, is survived by her three children, Eric Rice and his wife, Eugenia, of Felton, Calif., Wendy Rice of Morristown and Meghan R. Papinchak and her husband, Peter, of Ringwood; and three grandchildren, Edan Samson of West Orange, Drew Samson of Hoboken and Dominique Rice of Felton, Calif.
For those wishing to make a donation in her memory, kindly contribute in her name to the UUFSC in Newton or to the Humane Society.
A memorial service will be held this summer at the UUFSC in Newton.
“Spirit of Life, come unto me. Roots hold me close; wings set me free. Sprit of life, come to me, come to me.”