John Robert Rice

Date of Death: June 6, 2020

service

Memorial Service:

Private due to COVID – 19 restrictions

It will be livestreamed on Saturday at 2:00 PM through ompsfuneralhome.com under John’s obituary page.

Celebration of life:

Saturday at 5:00 PM

RSVP by Friday at 12:00 PM to

[email protected]

for location information

John Robert Rice, 56, of Strasburg, Virginia, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, June 6, 2020, at his home.

John was born in 1963, in Williamsburg, Virginia, the son of Charles Edward Rice and Patricia Rice.

John graduated from John Handley High School, Class of 1982, and from Hampden-Sydney College in 1986 where he received a B.A. in Economics. He worked for McDonald’s beginning in high school, and for 40 years was dedicated to his work in the Nerangis Management Corporation where he was Vice President of Operations in Winchester, Va.

He married Valerie Gay Bush on May 11, 1991, in Charles Town, WV and they remained a deeply loving couple for 29 years.

Surviving with his wife are his father Charles “Chuck” Rice (Sue Dodge) of Alexandria, VA; mother Pat Rice of Winchester, VA; sons, Daniel Robert Rice of Charlotte, NC, and Dillon John Rice of Strasburg, VA; brothers, Andrew Glenn Rice of San Francisco, CA and Mark Edward Rice (Randi Scheiner) of Binghamton, NY.

John was a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winchester, where he enjoyed working with the youth; he and Gay taught children’s Sunday School for 16 years.

John was a gentle man with a generous heart, a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He was a devoted father and was especially proud of his sons. He had a playful sense of humor which he shared freely. John was a fantastic cook who found his way easily into people’s hearts through sharing food, laughter, games, and conversation. He enjoyed semi-annual camping weekends by the Shenandoah River with friends from high school, and he had fun golfing with tournament partner Drew.

Due to COVID-19 limitations on the number of people during a gathering, all services with Omps Funeral Home will be private. However, a livestream of John’s memorial service will be available on the Omps Funeral Home website on his obituary page at 2:00 pm on Saturday June 13, and for 45 days thereafter.

An open reception for a Celebration of Life will be held at 5:00 pm at the home of a friend. Those who wish to attend please RSVP to [email protected] by 12:00pm on Friday June 12 to receive location information.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions may be made in John’s memory to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Youth Group and Christian Education, 26 West Boscawen St., Winchester, VA 22601.

Jasmine Schultz

Donna Spezzano

Keivan Robinson

Cousin Paula

The Marsden Family

Sue Dodge

Gina Hartmann

Angie Breeden

Scott T Hartley SR

Joe & Kathie Jones

Angela Neff

Dawn Reidy

John Robert Rice, 56, of Strasburg, Virginia, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, June 6, 2020, at his home. John was born in 1963, in Williamsburg, Virginia, the son of Charles Edward Rice and Patricia Rice. John graduated from John Handley High School, Class of 1982, and from Hampden-Sydney College in 1986 whereContinue Reading

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My deepest condolence for your loss.

My condolences to the family.

Dear Gay, Daniel and Dillon,We are praying for you all during this difficult time. Love and continued prayers.The Shernick family

“Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Praying God’s comfort to be over John’s family.

John will be truly missed. His laughter and kindness always to be remembered. We have fond memories of spending time with the Rice family and the weekends visiting each other once we moved from Winchester. John was a great cook and I fondly remember the "Bubba shrimp" he cooked. Gay prayers for you and the boys and for strength in this difficult time. The service was beautiful and Gay I was very moved by the words you spoke about John and the strength you showed. I am so sorry for your loss.

Peace of mind is a call away. We're here when you need us most.

God bless the rice family ❤️💪🏾

So sorry for the death of John. Prayers for the family and friends.

Prayers for God’s love to comfort and sustain you in this difficult time.

It is with our deepest sympathy for Gay, Dillon and Daniel. John was such a kind and gentle man that always had a positive outlook. We are so honored to have known him. You all are in our daily prayers.

John I cant believe you are gone . We first met when you was a teenager at Valley Avenue Mcdonalds and we have know each other for 40 years . Im going to miss your smile when you came thru Drive Thru and when you always left the store. You were and still are a good person . Love You always Max

In memory of John Robert Rice, Sue Dodge lit a candle

Much love and endless prayers for you, Rice Family. Remembering the love you shared with John and peaceful in knowing you'll be with him again one day.

John, my ole buddy for a long time, I truly am going to miss you, we had so many great times together, you always made me laugh and life without laughter just sucks, Godspeed my friend, keep them all laughing up there! Love you man!

As a Consultant for McDonald’s, God allowed my walk of life to cross paths with John Rice, Ken Estes, Nick Nerangis and the entire Nerangis McFamily. I grew very fond of this organization and had the opportunity to build some great relationships. John Rice was one of those great relationships that I had the humbled privilege to build. After business took me to another geographical location, my friendship with John was never severed. We would occasionally touch base on the phone from time to time.....and would always pick up right where we left off. He was always a man to offer words of encouragement, during the storms of life, and would share a smile and a laugh. The last time I physically saw John was when I went to visit him in the hospital, when he had his heart surgery. I was privileged to meet you that evening Gay and pray with you and John. Gay, and boys.....may the God of heaven bathe you in his peace and hold you in the hollow of his hand, until you are reunited. God Bless 🙏🙏

A simply solid human being who was always smiling like the cat who ate the canary. John you always made me think of Garfield. To the entire Rice clan I am so sorry for your loss. You have my deepest sympathies and my continual prayers. I will never forget Christmas with the Rices!

From the ends of the hall I could hear the roar of ANDY whenever I passed your office. It made me feel welcomed and inspired, and when we would see each other at the Handley Library, we knew the value of a good book (and getting out of the office). You will be missed. I always looked forward to your smile and laugh. My heart and thoughts are with your family at this time.

My condolence Gay and family. The things I remember about John was his smile....he always talked to you in a calm and kind voice and I always knew I could talk to him about my problems at work ... he will be greatly missed by all that knew him.....

In memory of John Robert Rice, Angie Breeden lit a candle

I remember the sound of John's laugh and the sincerity of his smile. He was habitually kind and generous and sweet. He will be missed. I am so sorry to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with the Rice family.

Many years have passed since we worked together, but I will always remember John for being quick with a smile or silly gesture to bring out a laugh, even in the most stressful of times. I am ever grateful for the influence he had early in my career, I learned much about treating people with kindness from him. To his family I offer prayers for any peace that may be found at this sad time, and further prayers that your hearts may heal in time.

Peace of mind is a call away. We're here when you need us most.

So sorry for your loss. Sending prayers to you and your family.

Dear Rice family, You are all in our thoughts and prayers.

John, you will be missed so much. My prayers go out to your family. RIP John

Birdie, Dave and I are beyond saddened hearts! 💕💕😭 Our lives have intertwined so many years that I’ve lost count. The only words I can send to you are we love ♥️and loved ♥️your family! To pick out a memory to share, oh my there have been so many! One though, was the night John and I partied on a cruise 🚢 ship and you and Dave had to retire early.😆 Never did him and I ever see each other and not laugh 😆 and talk about that night, and how he would always smile 😊 at me and say Tinkle-Tinkle, and we would both burst out laughing 😆! Last time I talked to him was Cassie’s Wedding, and he said that we needed to go on another cruise 🚢 together. Wish we did! Birdie, we are here for you if you need anything! You know you will always be family to us!😘😍🥰 Please come see us sometime!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😘

So sorry to read this Gay. I can’t imagine what you are experiencing. I will be praying for you and your family. Oh my, words cannot express. Dawn Reidy

I went to school with John and we both worked at McDonald’s in high school. Such a nice guy. This truly breaks my heart. Condolences to Gay and the boys. John was one of the good guys. RIP, friend.

I am so saddened for the loss of John. My sympathy and prayers for peace go out daily for his family. He was a wonderful person that was a huge part of my life for many years. I have so many wonderful memories from childhood, high school, college and throughout our adult years. Too many to count. He was always kind and honest and sincere in our conversations. And he was always a ton of fun and good for a laugh. We laughed a lot. I will always smile when I reflect on his life. On behalf of his entire camping buddies, Rest In Peace, brother. You were there with us for 40 years. We will miss you, but we will carry you in our hearts forever.

Where to begin? One job, I've had one job my entire life. One family, the Nerangis family, and John was able to do it with me. We were just kids and we got to grow into the men we are today shoulder to shoulder. I'm not sure I was ever the teacher in our experiences over the years but I know we pushed each other to be better than we were the day before, personally and professionally. John always made me think about the importance of people and no matter the scenario, people were the answer. He played a huge role in how I interact with people inside and out of work. We've spent a lot of time together over the years. We didn't spend a lot of time together outside work but you were my friend. We spoke daily about work without a doubt but somehow it always came back to our families and how proud we were of them. It was our routine to sit down a couple minutes on Fridays before we left the office and talk about what we had planned for the weekend and then before we got deep into work on Mondays, we would recap how things went. I already miss this. Gay, Dan and Dillon, he smiled ear to ear when he spoke of you. Prayers to you all.

Our deepest condolences on the loss of your son. Keeping you and your family in our hearts and prayers.

So sorry for your loss

in Memory of John Rice. I lite a candel

Wishing strength and peace for the family and friends of John. He will be missed.

John was a great person and while I worked with him for 20 years at the office of Nerangis we always had great laughs and joking. He is a great guy and will get missed. My heart goes out to Gay and family.

Love you daddy Rice!

Gay I dont have words for losing love of your life. I am praying God will give you and your family peace. I loved my time working with him and have many fond memories and his smile. May God give you comfort as I truly know what you are going through.

You will be greatly missed and never forgotten. Your beautiful soul will shine forever through us all.

Dear Gay and Family...you are in our hearts in sympathy and in our prayers!

My prayers are with your family at this time.

Our hearts go out to Pat, Gay and the boys, Mark, and Andrew. We'll be warmed by John's memory forever and we feel grateful for the light and fun he brought into our lives in the far too short time that we spent with him. I hear his laugh whenever I think of him.

You have been my friend and coworker throughout my entire career. I could not have expanded our business and achieved my personal career goals without your consistent and compassionate leadership of our team. I admire how you always stayed positive through the many opportunities and challenges we faced together, and I’ll simply miss seeing your friendly face each day. Peace and love to Gay your family!
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Peace of mind is a call away. We're here when you need us most.

John thank you so much for being an amazing boss. You taught me so much. I will never forget all our silly moments and talks about life and work. You were definitely an amazing person and will be missed greatly. Rest easy. My thoughts and prayers go out to Gay, your boys, and family.

Thoughts and prayers to Gay and the boys. His memory will live on in all of our hearts!

I am saddened to hear about the passing of John. What a great guy and classmate at JHHS. Thoughts and prayers are with the family. RIP Rice.- Jeff Boppe

Hugs and love to the Rice family....Big John will be missed by our whole church community

John was a great guy and I am very blessed to have known him. Through his love and care he touch the lives of many children in our congregation. His laughter, kindness and friendship will be long remembered. Love you all. My prayers are with you.

Sending prayers and comfort to John's family. I am so so sorry to hear this news. Please know you all are in my thoughts.

So sorry to hear of his passing, he was one of the best Store Managers I had, and Supervisor. I really enjoyed working with him in Charles Town. I know he will be missed by many. Sending prayers to his family to see them through this difficult time.

So sad to hear this news, we’re still too young for this. John was always a lovable guy, always smiling and, if you were lucky, greeted you with a punch to the shoulder. Just a good guy. RIP my friend.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of John Rice. May God give you and your family the strength to go on. He took home a wonderful person and now he is your angel. From fonz, Edna and Trudy we are truly saddened by the news of John passing. Worked with him for many years at McDonald's.

In memory of John Robert Rice, Loo lit a candle

In memory of John Robert Rice, Sharon Miller and family lit a candle

Our heartfelt sympathy are with your family.

John was a gentle man with a kind heart. He helped me to understand the aspects of things at McDonald's. I am certain he will be missed by man.

I will always remember Mr. Rice for his humor and fond childhood memories I have spending weekends together with you all. It was one of the things I looked forward to the most. My condolences to you all. I pray for some peace for your family during this difficult time, and know that with his strong faith, he certainly is at peace. ❤

Our hearts are broken. We loved John, he was a great man. John, Gay, and the boys are like family to us. He was great with our Grandchildren and was so much fun to be around. We loved you and love your family, we are really going to miss you John.

In memory of John Robert Rice, Diamomd lit a candle

Rest In Peace to a great leader. 🙏🏻

John was a good man and he will be missed by our mcdonalds crew 😔❤ he thought me so much in the 5 years I had with him praying for his family.

In memory of John Robert Rice, Lauren Leonard lit a candle

I've known John for years through McDonald's. He was a great person to work for. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Gay his boys and his parents and brothers. He will be missed.

Gay and John are dear friends of ours. So many great memories ! John will be dearly missed. Our prayers for Gay and the boys. Please let us know if we can help in any way.

In memory of John Robert Rice, Catherine Tregoning lit a candle

Gay, Daniel, Dillon....... there are no words to say except I am sorry to hear this and I am definitely keeping you in my prayers. God bless and watch over you always.

Im so sorry Gay.

You will alway be missed although you’re not far away. R.i.p. and fly high Uncle John

Gay and boys-it was an honor to have met and spent time with John. He was a caring and fun spirited person. You all are in our thoughts and prayers🙏🏻❤️

Sure do love you, buddy.

In memory of John Robert Rice, Kimberly Stinedurf lit a candle

My deepest sympathy to you Gay and your sons.My heart goes out to you at this time.John was our supervisor but many of us thought of him as our friend.He had a quick wit about him and he loved to laugh especially when things could get stressful.He will be missed and thought of often .

My condolences to John family and friends .I may not have known John well or long but when I did have a chance to talk with him it was a pleasure and always enjoyed him teasing me on my accent and where I'm from.He will be greatly missed .

rip John it was a pleasure working with your until we meet again

In memory of John Robert Rice, Angel Marston lit a candle

RIP John! You will be missed. Thank you for believing in me and giving me your support during the time we worked together. Hugs and prayers to Gay and your family.

Over all the years talking to John, he was always very nice to us. So many memories. Our prayers are with you,Gay, and your sons.

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.