Phyllis Wardrup Rice

Phyllis Wardrup Rice, age 86, of Atlanta, Georgia, died November 15, 2013. Her life will be remembered as one of giving. Throughout the years, Phyllis Rice served her church, community and neighbors, but her main passion was her attention to family. She enjoyed needle-pointing various designs for her children and grandchildren, as well as creating the lobby carpet design at the Georgia Tech Athletic Association office for her husband Homer Rice. She married Homer, retired Director of Athletics at Georgia Tech, in 1950. They have three daughters, Nancy Rice Hetherington, Phyllis Rice Ingle, and Angela Rice Miller and sons-in-law Steve Hetherington and Jeff Miller. They have also been blessed with seven grandchildren; Ryce, Leigh and Drew Hetherington, Jamie Ingle Keeling and Brian Ingle, and David and Andrew Miller as well as three great grandchildren; Kaya Curcio, Jackson Keeling and Brooks Hetherington. Phyllis attended The Women’s College of the University of North Carolina and Eastern Kentucky University and graduated with a BS Degree in Elementary Education. She spent her early years as a kindergarten and first grade teacher; and later trained and supervised students for elementary education at the University of Kentucky before retiring to raise her family. Mrs. Rice’s activities through the years included: Methodist Church Administration Board, President of the Women of the Church, Chairperson of the Methodist Women’s Circle, and Methodist Altar Guild. She was active with Scottish Rite Hospital where she developed the first game cart for the children. Phyllis took great pleasure in her hospital volunteer work in Atlanta and at Marco Island, Florida’s Urgent Care Center. She enjoyed being a member of The Garden Club and many other service activities in her community. Phyllis was an active member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church and the Timothy Sunday School Class. Phyllis Wardrup Rice was born in Middlesboro, Kentucky on September 30, 1927 to Leo and Kathryn Wardrup. She grew up with 6 siblings; Florence Wardrup Bingham, Virginia Wardrup Rissling, Leo Wardrup Jr., Elizabeth Wardrup Baber and the former, Mimi Wardrup Bellairs and Tom Wardrup. Phyllis was active as a high school and college cheerleader and a member of the Middlesboro High School Honor Society. She had a special appreciation for music and enjoyed singing in many various choir groups, playing the piano and organ and loved to dance. Phyllis’s family and many friends will miss her friendly smile, her contagious laugh, her warm and gracious hospitality and her energetic love of life. Services for Phyllis Wardrup Rice will be held at 2:00 pm, on Thursday, November 21 at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. For those who prefer, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church Children’s Ministries, 3180 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30305 or Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Office of Gift Records Emory University, 1762 Clifton Road, Suite 1400MS: 0970-001-8AA, Atlanta, GA 30322-4001.