Bill Rice

Billy Carroll (Bill) Rice was born May 9, 1935 in Waco, Texas to parents Olan and Hazel (Jones) Rice.  He passed away November 23, 2019 at the age of 84.

Bill was the oldest of four children and he honorably served his country in the United States Marine Corps.  Bill graduated from Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science/Gupton-Jones in Dallas, Texas and following graduation, he moved to Waco to begin working as a funeral director for the Connally Funeral Home. His leadership skills did not go unnoticed and Bill was ultimately promoted to manager of what would later become Connally/Compton Funeral Directors. While in Waco, Bill was active in the Kiwanis Club, Karem Shriners, Waco Jaycee’s and was elected President of The Waco Girl’s Club.

In the mid-1980’s, Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home was in need of a strong leader and Bill got the call to come to Dallas to continue his success as a manager. While at Sparkman’s, Bill worked side by side with members of the Sparkman family and skillfully guided the long-time heritage of the family name, while also assuring the financial success of the business’s bottom line. During his tenure as manager, Bill gained the adoration and respect of his employees and built many life-long friendships within the funeral industry.

Bill retired from the funeral home in the late 90’s and turned his interest in a different direction, working with Freeman Design Group, assisting with renovation and design of funeral homes across the country. Ultimately, Bill returned to his true calling as a funeral director and worked for Restland Funeral Home in Dallas until his final retirement in 2017.

Bill is survived by his two daughters, Lori Blake and Lisa Boydston both of Plano, Texas, son Joseph Rice of Corona, California, his beloved grandchildren Sarah and Chris Dungan of Leander, Texas,  Amanda and Brian Gamble of Wichita Falls, Texas, Andrew and Natalie Boydston of Arlington, Texas, Annalise Boydston and her partner Josh Ibarra of Denton, Texas,  great-granddaughters Haylee Snyder of Wichita Falls, Texas and Violet Dungan of Leander, Texas, sister Carrie Smith and her husband Jim of Houston, Texas, his friend and mother of his children,  Glenda Lewis and many loving nieces, nephews, colleagues and friends.    He was preceded in death by his mother Hazel Rice, father Olan Rice, sister Jackie Miller, brother Richard Rice and his close friend and partner Dr. Freda Fontaine, who passed away in 2010.

The family will receive friends at a visitation from 2:00 -4:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 1, 2019 at Allen Family Funeral Options. A funeral service to celebrate Bill’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 2, 2019 also at Allen Family Funeral Options. Bill will be laid to rest at 2:15 p.m. with military honors at Dallas/Ft. Worth National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.org or to The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation www.myasthenia.org