Celebration of Life Held For Sitkan David R. Rice
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- Category: Obituaries
- Created on Wednesday, 13 October 2021 15:09
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David Russell Rice
David Russell Rice, a lifelong Sitka resident, died Sept. 15, 2021, at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. He was 53.
A celebration of his life was held Sept. 30 at the Sitka Moose Lodge.
Dave was born Nov. 7. 1967, in Sitka, the son of Donald and Susan (Bryan) Rice. His mom was from California and his dad from Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Dave graduated from Sitka High in 1987. He worked at the Alaska Pulp Co. mill for several years; was a cook at Westmark Hotel; a driver for the Daily Sitka Sentinel; and a taxi driver.
He also was a volunteer for the Salvation Army.
“Dad was funny, caring, and one of the most helpful people I’ve ever met,” a family member said. “He was the type of guy who’d give you the last of anything he had. He was the guy you’d go to when you had a problem – he would try to make you laugh.
“He would do anything for his children, it didn’t matter what time it was and what needed to be done – he would help. Our dad was a helper.”
Along with enjoying his children, Dave liked to fish, and to play pool.
Survivors include his daughters, Shaunte Hill of Gulfport, Mississippi, and Kytela Rice of Wasilla; sons Alex Johnson-Rice and Bryan Johnson-Rice, both of Sitka; brother Robert Rice and nephew Bobby Rice, both of Chehalis, Washington; grandson Felix Rice, Sitka; uncles Murray Rice and Myron Rice of Chehalis; and cousins Karmon Rice and Arron Rice of Chehalis, Merrill Rice of Sitka, and Kendra Nicholson of Kodiak.
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20 YEARS AGO
December 2004
Political expression dominated headlines in Sitka in 2004, making elections the top continuing news story of the year. ... In those elections, Sitkans charted their own path: requiring that any future downtown cruise ship dock proposal go before voters; narrowly defeating a citywide smoking ban; and bucking state trends by favoring former Gov. Tony Knowles in his bid for U.S. Senate over appointive incumbent Lida Murkowski; and John Kerry over George W. Bush. Facing community opposition to proposals to close Sitka Community Hospital, the Assembly called an election for a 17 percent increase in the property tax to fund the hospital. It failed, as expected, but the large number of affirmative votes indicated Sitkans would fight to keep their health facility ion operations.
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