Jack Rice

For Jack Rice, each moment in life presented a new opportunity to have fun. From captivating a classroom of students with his passion for history to performing on stage, Jack loved the opportunity to meet new people, try something new and have a good time. With his pleasant, enthusiastic personality and his vivacity and excitement, Jack was a wonderful member of society and a loyal husband, uncle and friend. Jacks story begins in that exciting age known as the roaring twenties. Sandwiched between the hardships of the First World War and the Great Depression, the twenties were a time of great social change and excitement. For most of the nation, it was the age of flappers, jazz, speakeasies and that noble experiment known as prohibition. But for Henry and Hanna (Lund) Rice, the year 1926 was a time of joy and anticipation as they prepared their home in Muskegon, Michigan for a new little life. One spring day, on May 10, 1926, their new bundle of joy, a baby boy who they named Jack, made his first appearance in the world. Young Jack, along with his sister Jean, spent his childhood at their home on Southern Avenue in Muskegon, where they also attended St. Pauls Episcopal church. Their father, Henry, supported his family by working as a tailora position he earned when he won a tailor shop in a poker game. Jack was a fun, personable young child who loved having fun with his friends. At the age of seven, Jack performed in a production of Alice in Wonderland. This young acting debut resulted in a lifelong love of theater for Jack. After Jack graduated from high school, he decided to join the navy with several of his buddies. After a short time, he became a radioman. While he served from 1944-1946, the years when the United States was the most involved in WWII, Jack luckily never saw any action. After his time of service, Jack returned to Muskegon for a short time before going to Michigan State University. Shortly, Jack discovered that MSU was not the right fit for him, and returned home to attend Muskegon Community College for a year. From there, Jack transferred to Hillsdale College, where he proudly received his bachelors degree in history. After graduation, he decided to continue his studies, and attended University of Michigan for his masters. While attending school, Jack applied every spare minute towards something he enjoyed. During the summers, he resurrected his childhood love of acting, and formed a summer stock theater troupe in Alpena, Michigan. The troupe was quite successful, and included a woman named Rue McClanahan, who would later go on to star in the TV series Golden Girls. One day, Jack attended the wedding of a friend, where he met a young lady named Catherine Kit Oliver. The two hit it off immediately,and began dating. After a short time, Jack and Kit were forced to make their relationship long distance, as Jack served in the Naval Reserves in Korea from 1951-53. During this time, their love continued to grow as they wrote letters back and forth. Then, one beautiful day on November 23, 1961, Jack and Kit exchanged vows and became husband and wife. When Jack returned from Korea, he took a teaching job at Muskegon Heights School. While a job in teaching had never been his intention, he soon found that he loved the job. After ten years with Muskegon Heights, Jack was awarded a Fulbright teaching grant which allowed him to teach in Rotterdam, Netherlands. After he returned from this exciting experience, he took a position teaching the History of Western Civilization at Muskegon Community College. Jack found his true calling as a history instructor. He was a colorful, vibrant teacher who loved to use his acting skills to bring history to life. He once stated, I teach the story of mankind from whence man has come and where he is going and I teach the understanding of mankind. Jack was a favorite professor of students on campus, and remained there for 28 years. For 17 of those years, he served as the chairman of the Social Science Department. Jack was also instrumental in starting the theater program at MCC. He retired in 1989. While he and Kit never had any children of their own, they enjoyed spending time with their nieces and nephews. Jack and Kit kept up a great social life, participating as active members at First Congregational Church, where Kits father had been a pastor for many years. Jack loved to keep busy, and was an active member in society. He served on numerous boards around town and for church, including the Hume Home, Friends of Art, Friends of the Hackly Public Library, The Muskegon Country Club, and many theater organizations. Once, Jack even tried his hand at local politics and ran for the Muskegon City Commission. Theater continued to play an active role in Jacks life, and he performed and directed many plays for Port City Play House, Muskegon Civic Opera, and Muskegon Civic Theater. After retiring, Jack and Kit sold their house on Jefferson Avenue in Muskegon and moved to a condo in Norton Shores. There, Jack quickly became involved and served on the Condo Association Board for many years. The two loved to travel with their friends, and kept up their participation in the theater community and society. Unfortunately, age began to take its toll on Jacks body, and he began to need oxygen. This caused him to slow down, but he still managed to stay active. On September 19, 2010, Jack died at the Poppel Hospice House. Throughout his life, Jack showed enthusiasm and passion in every endeavor. With his infectious personality and knack for entertaining, Jack spread his love of history and theater to many students and faculty. Always eager to serve his community and spend time with those he loved, Jacks life had a true impact on many. He will be greatly missed. Jack is survived by his wife of 48 years, Catherine; nieces & nephews, Cheryl Vanderstelt, Susan Daigle, Timothy Hall, Samuel Oliver, Susan Oliver Potter, Ann Oliver Roys, Mary Oliver Huber, John Oliver, Timothy Oliver, Andrew Oliver. He was preceded in death by his sister, Jean Rice Hall & nephew, Steven Hall. Memorial services will be held on Friday, September 24, 2010, 2:00 PM, with visitation 1 hour prior to the service at First Congregational Church United Church of Christ with Rev. Tim VanderHaar officiating. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com, where you can leave a memory or sign the online guest book.