Gordon Lee Rice

Gordon Lee Rice, age 94, from Decatur, Indiana; Beverly Hills, Michigan; and Ave Maria, Florida died on July 23rd, 2025 in Naples, Florida. His surviving children are Kevin (married to Kathleen) and Elizabeth Rice Bruton. His daughter, Risë Rice McGee passed away June 30th, 2022. Also surviving are 6 Grandchildren and 6 Great Grandchildren. His Grandson, Christopher Rice, passed away 1/16/2017. He married Janet Suzanne Roudebush in 1954. Janet passed away in 2016.

Gordon graduated from Decatur High School in 1948 and later Ball State University, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree. He was a Corporal in the Army from 1952 – 1954 and also served in the Army Reserve. When in the active military, he was an instructor in the Countermeasure Division of The Army Signal School. He was secretive about this with his children and so there are not many details of what his role was! After his time in the Army and graduating college, he was employed as a Sales Representative by South Haven Rubber Company, a supplier of various rubber assemblies to the automotive industry. He later moved to Beverly Hills, Michigan, where he continued to work as a Sales Representative to the automative industry. He purchased a home there in 1963 and remained in the same home for 59 years. He moved to Florida early in 2023 to live with his son, Kevin, and daughter in law, Kathleen.

Gordon was an avid golfer and longtime member of Edgewood Country Club. He served as President, won the annual Club Championship, and achieved a low handicap of 5 at one point. He also enjoyed bowling. He was a meticulous organizer, and his financial advisor once joked that his years of financial notes on yellow legal pads rivaled any Excel Spreadsheet he had ever seen. He was very sociable and loved to strike up conversations with any and all whom he came in contact with. It is safe to say, everyone loved “Gordie”, especially his children and extended family.