William “Bill” Jennings Rice Jr. was born on June 28, 1930 in Kenosha, Wisconsin at St. Catherine’s Hospital, the eldest son of William and Elsie (Burkhardt) Rice. Bill went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Bill attended St. James Catholic School until 8th grade, Lincoln Junior High School and graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School in 1950. Bill was a lifelong member of St. James Catholic Church and a strong supporter of the seminary.
Upon graduation Bill worked at Nash Motors and Simmons Mattress until being hired by the Kenosha Fire Department on March 15, 1952. He retired from the Kenosha Fire Department at the rank of Lieutenant on February 1, 1993. Bill was a proud member of IAFF Local 414. Bill was proud to carry on the family tradition of service to the Kenosha Fire Department in which his grandfather and father also proudly served.
Bill joined the Navy reserves in 1950 and served until September 17, 1952, when he was assigned active duty in the Korean War serving as a seaman on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. Bill was honorably discharged on July 19, 1954, after serving 4 years with the United States Navy. During his service Bill became a member of the Brotherhood of the Horned Shellback after crossing the equator and navigating around the notoriously dangerous Great Horn. After his discharge, Bill returned to the Kenosha Fire Department. In December 2024, Bill was honored by the Kenosha Hometown Heroes Commission with a special recognition for his service to the United States and to the City of Kenosha.
Bill was a member of the American Legion Paul Herrick Post 21, the Navy Club of Kenosha Ship 40 and Kenosha Knights of Columbus. Bill was a founding member of the St. Jude League of Kenosha and has served as the president since 1957. Bill was also a founding member of the ROMEO Club (Retired Old Men Eating Out).
Bill loved baseball and was a member of the Brewers Traveling Fan Club and has been to every major league baseball park, except for the current Yankee Stadium. Bill was a Packers season ticket holder from 1956 until 1992. Bill loved to travel. Between his naval voyages and his subsequent trips with family and friends, he visited Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Saipan, Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, England, Ireland, Israel, Panama, Belgium and Mexico. He was generous to the core, and he often paid for the expenses of his travel companions.
During his retirement, until 2019, Bill would spend the winter months in San Diego with Loran and Joyce Tucker and family. Bill wants to thank all of the 414 members of the Kenosha Fire Department for their dedication to the fire service and for their friendship. Bill wants to especially thank Richard Bosanko, Greg Belsky, Phil Jacobs, Dave Marifern, Don Holman, Chief Charles Leipzig, Chief Christopher Bigley and Charlie Rogan.
Bill said he met his “guardian angel” when he met Police Chief John Morrissey in 2009 when he was handling the memorial bricks for the Kenosha Public Safety Monument. John and Bill became friends and Bill became part of the Morrissey family and spent the holidays with John’s family. Bill and John would go to Nafi’s almost every Saturday for breakfast where Bill would order his usual, a Belgian waffle with strawberries and whip cream.
On November 7, 2019, John took Bill on the Honor Flight to Washington DC, which Bill said was one of the trips he enjoyed the most. In January 2020, Bill moved to The Legacy at St. Joseph’s, which he called the “Waiting Room to Heaven.” Bill lived at the Legacy until the time of passing and now he will be reunited with his parents and brothers.
Bill is survived by his nephew, Owen Rice of Providence, RI; nieces, Beth Tickner of Madison, CT and Erin Rice of Arlington, VA; and sisters-in- law, Mary Rice of Lakewood Ranch, FL and Susan Rice of Kenosha. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Lowell “Jerry” Rice, Richard “Dick” Rice and Lawrence Rice and his beloved dog, Aristotle.
Service Date February 27, 2025
SERVICE LOCATION St. James Catholic Church
A visitation for Bill will be held on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., with Kenosha Fire Department honor taking place at 6:30 p.m., at the Piasecki Funeral Home, 3720 39th Ave.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at St. James Catholic Church, 5821 10th Ave.
Interment with full military honors will follow in St. James Cemetery.
Bill asks that anyone wishing to offer Mass in his name and pray for his soul would be mostly appreciated.
In lieu of flowers, Bill requests that any donations be made to any of the following organizations: St. Jude League, https://www.stjudeleague.org/, Knights of Columbus Kenosha, https://www.koc973.org/, St. James Catholic Church, https://www.downtownkenoshacatholic.org/donate, or The Legacy at St. Joseph’s Kenosha, 9244 29th, Kenosha, WI 53143 or to a charity of your choice in Bill’s name.
