Alfred F. Rice

June 26, 1941 - September 21, 2019

Alfred Felix Rice, 78, life long resident of Traverse City passed away September 21, 2019. Al was born June 26, 1941 on the family farm on Rice Road in Cedar, Michigan to Felix And Cecelia (Bembeneck) Rice. For over 50 years, Al was one of the few elite professional painting contractors in the area. An example of his meticulous craftsmanship can be seen within the historic Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home and many homes on Sixth Street. Al was a true animal lover, rescuing several dogs and cats from the shelter throughout the years, with a soft spot for any senior dog in need of a home. He loved feeding the birds and other wildlife, making sure they had plenty to eat. His green thumb lead to everyone enjoying gorgeous flowers each summer. Al enjoyed playing euchre and winning tournaments with his son and nephew. If a football game was on tv, he was watching it! He was preceded in death by his parents, infant brother John, and his brothers Thomas and Felix Rice. He is survived by the mother of his children, Joanne Myers of Traverse City, their children Jeff Rice of Traverse City, Lisa (Bart) Willingham of Traverse City, Sandy Thompson of Kingsley, grandchildren Jeremy Rice of Interlochen and Tayler Thompson of Branch; great grandson, Izayah Richards; siblings James (Mona) Rice of Lake Leelanau, Harold Rice of Maple City, Millie (Ron) Evans of Bridgeman, sister-in-law Diane Rice of Maple City, Leo (Marilyn) Rice of Traverse City, Mark (Linda) Rice of Battle Creek, Rebecca Houser of Houston, Texas and his beloved dogs Scruffy and Honey. Visitation will be held on Friday October 4, 2019 from 5 to 7 pm at the Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home. The mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am at Holy Rosary in Cedar on Saturday October 5, 2019 with visitation one hour prior. Interment will follow at Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens. A luncheon will then be held at the VFW Hall on Veteran's Drive for all family and friends. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Cherryland Humane Society.