Robbie C. Rice, 61, of Beaumont, passed away April 12, 2014 at his daughter’s home in Baytown, TX. He was born February 19, 1953 in Beaumont to Jack and Frances Scarborough Rice and lived in Beaumont his entire life. A gathering of family and friends will be held Tuesday, April 15, 2014 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home. A celebration of Robbie’s life will be Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of the funeral home.
Robbie was always one to work hard, give much and love those he cared for. At the age of 19 he began parking cars for American National Bank. As technology progressed so did Robbie as he worked his way in banking to a Vice President in charge of data processing. After 29 years of banking he left to join the family business, The Fan Factory. It was Robbie who “fixed” fans for many of us in Beaumont. But he did much more than that; he found ways to use his skills and caring to help many others. One special project was building sensory boxes for blind children.
He lived to fish but if he wasn’t fishing he could be found working on a computer somewhere for someone.
Robbie was preceded in death by his father, Jack M. Rice, brother, Michael Rice, and his grandparents. He is survived by the daughter he adored, Christy Webb and her husband Charles of Baytown, his grandchildren, Tanner Townsend, Pamela Webb and Karlie Webb; mother, Frances Rice Wood and her husband, George Wood, of Beaumont; brother, Paul Randall Rice and his wife, Debbie, of Galveston; step-brothers, George Wood, Jr. and his wife, Renee, of Beaumont, Jim Wood, and his wife, Sherri, of Lumberton; step-sister, Maralee Nicol and her husband, Gary, of Spring, TX and a cousin who he loved as a brother, Ronald Wayne Rice and his wife, Janelle of Lumberton, TX.
Christy would like to extend her deepest thanks to her husband, Robbie’s son-in-law, Charles, for all his love, support and care of her father, Dr. Anita Sabichi and her staff at Baylor College of Medicine, Kim Kinder for all her special care, James Robicheaux and his fellow officers, the staff of Hospice Compassus for all the great care everyone provided, Mike and Lisa Kinder for everything they did for Robbie, you are special people who are considered family and Ronnie Rice for the love and support and for being the best friend a man could ever have, you are loved as a brother.
Serving as pallbearers will be Ronald Wayne Rice, Tanner Townsend, Mark Gordon, Dean McClendon, Jim Wood and Mike Kinder. Honorary pallbearers are Gene Lindsey, Ronald Wayne (Bubba) Rice and Jerry Randolph.