Cloneal Rice

Cloneal Georgette Rice was born at home on March 13, 1955 in Gary, Indiana to George and Cloneal (Galloway) Rice of Canton, Mississippi. She was the eighth of thirteen children. Once her parents separated and her mother became ill, Cloneal was raised in several foster homes.

Cloneal attended schools in the Gary Public School District. She graduated from Emerson High School, class of 1973. Cloneal began college the same year, attending Indiana University, in Bloomington, where she studied for two years. Cloneal continued her studies at Indiana University Northwest, Gary, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the business fraternity. She stopped school just two classes away from earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Cloneal worked several jobs in the food, hospitality, and service industry with companies such as Holiday Inn, Red Roof Inn, and KFC, among others. Her jobs working as an Enumerator for the 1990 US Census and for Meijer, Inc. were her favorites. Cloneal was a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, Local 951 and a member of the National Council of Negro Women, Gary, Indiana chapter.

Cloneal attended several churches in Gary in her early life, including St. James Missionary Baptist Church and New Friendship Baptist Church. In later years, she re-dedicated her life to Christ and worshipped at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Bethel Temple Church of God in Christ, and at Christ Baptist Church where she served on the Usher Board. After moving to Illinois, Cloneal joined Trinity Baptist Community Church International in Crystal Lake where she also served as an usher and worked with the Jail Ministry at McHenry County Jail.

Cloneal Georgette Rice departed this life at Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital, in Huntley, Illinois on January 20, 2020 at 8:36 pm. She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Matthew and Mary (Dinkins) Galloway; her parents, George and Cloneal (Galloway) Rice; brothers, Isaac Cornelius Rice, Joe Louis (Sherion) Rice, Richard Edwin (Doreen) Rice, and Rufus Winston Rice; sisters, Elaine Rice, and Violet Ruth (Rice) Hinton.

Cloneal leaves to cherish her memory her devoted daughter, Yolanda Marie Ferby; her granddaughter, Victoria Danielle Grant; brothers, Drs. Paul Matthew (Debra) Rice of Madison, Mississippi, Ronnie Joseph (Cynthia) Rice of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, and David Rice Williams of Chicago, Illinois; sisters, Margaret Ann (Dr. Charles) Rice Washington of Solon, Ohio, Geneva Loretta Rice of Canton, Mississippi, and Mary Rice Williams of Chicago, Illinois; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, and associates.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: Illinois American Cancer Society; National Kidney Foundation of Illinois; or the Epilepsy Foundation, North/Central Illinois.

For information call the Funeral Home at (815) 459-1760.