ROBERT LEE RICE
ROBERT LEE RICE
Robert (aka Bob) Lee Rice passed away peacefully early in the morning of November 30, 2015. He died from complications associated with kidney cancer. He was 83 years old. Born in Mount Ayr, Iowa on November 21, 1932, he was one of ten children. A military veteran of the Korean War, Bob spent time in Oregon and settled in Des Moines, Iowa where in the early 1960s he, along with his wife, built a local waste removal business. Over the years that followed, their business expanded to include disposal facilities and it grew into a very successful enterprise in the state of Iowa.
Upon selling his company, Bob and Audrey moved to The Big Island of Hawaii and split their time between residences in Kona and Salem, Oregon. Bob built construction and development companies in Kona, that still exists today. He also built many friendships throughout his years in business. He was the type of person who would help those who genuinely needed help and was very loyal to those with whom he worked. One person commented after hearing of Bob’s passing, “he really helped me when I was starting out years ago. Just a wonderful man.”
Bob enjoyed many pastimes including gardening and landscaping, golfing and tennis. He also followed many different kinds of sports including college football, most notably the Iowa Hawkeyes. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Audrey and his three children, Wes, Linda and Ken; two grandchildren, Jennifer and Kory; and two great granddaughters, Kassidy and Journey. He is also survived by three siblings, his sister Tini Rice, another sister Tye Wyss and his brother Garey. His other siblings (including brothers, Pat, Howard, Russell, Whitey, as well as his sisters, Eleanor Hunter, Phyllis Gray and Pat King) have already passed away.
A private viewing will be held Friday December 4, 2015, with a memorial service Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 1p.m. at City View Funeral Home 309 Hoyt Street S. Salem, Oregon 97302. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, a donation be given to Willamette Valley Hospice in Salem, Oregon.
