Howard Kenneth Rice

Howard Rice came from humble beginnings, but worked hard to improve his lot in life. As a young man, he was small in stature, but smart and studious. He graduated salutatorian from a small high school in Arkansas, at the age of 16, not long after his father had died. After graduation, he worked at a local shoe factory to help support his family. When he was 19, he married Wanda Huckabee. They moved to Rockford, Illinois to pursue better employment opportunities. Howard worked at several different jobs in the early years of their marriage. He took night classes to study drafting and engineering. In the late 1950s, Howard joined his cousin Homer Thomen at a new electroplating company in St. Louis, Missouri called Acme Electroplating, which eventually became Siegel-Robert. At the age of 32, he was promoted to Vice-president, and tasked with overseeing the construction of a new electroplating plant in Ripley, Tennessee. Howard served as Plant Manager until being asked to set up a new plant in southern Missouri. Plastene Supply opened in Portageville, Missouri during the first week of January, 1968. It is still in operation today, and is the largest employer in that area, by far. Howard left the company in 1981 and managed his real estate holdings in Portageville. He was offered the opportunity to manage a sportswear manufacturer in Phoenix, Arizona, working with his cousin Homer, again. So, he and Wanda moved to Phoenix in 1985. Howard eventually started his own sportswear manufacturing company that he ran successfully until his retirement in 2001, at the age of 70.

Howard is survived by his wife of 66 years Wanda L. Rice, as well as his three sons, Ken, Dennis, and Tim, and their wives, all currently residing in the Phoenix area. Additionally, Howard is survived by two brothers, Bill Rice and Roger Eveland, 5 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandson. Howard battled with Parkinson's disease for over 13 years. He was cared for at home by his loving wife, Wanda, for many years. Howard passed away at Amber Creek Memory Care facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Rice family is grateful for the care provided by the staff at Amber Creek, as well as the excellent care provided by Sage Hospice.

A Celebration of Howard's life will be held at 2:30 pm on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at Green Acres Mortuary, 401 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85257.