Mary Katherine (Kate) Graybeal Rice, age 93 of Greenwood, SC, wife of Dr. William T. Rice, died February 12, 2019 after a brief illness. She was born on November 17, 1925 in the Little Laurel community of Creston, NC to the late Arthur Garfield and Nancy McCoy Graybeal. Kate loved the mountains and people of Ashe County, and spent time at her homeplace every year of her life.
She was loved by all and will be greatly missed. Mrs. Rice was a graduate of Riverview High School, Lees-McRae College, and Lees-McRae-Grace Hospital School for Medical Record Administrators. Following a year at the University of NC in Chapel Hill and an internship at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, she was registered by the American Medical Record Association and received her RRA.
With continuing education, she was awarded a BS degree from Lander College, and received the Sociology Discipline Award. She was employed for a number of years at Norburn Hospital, Asheville, NC; Rex Hospital, Raleigh, NC; and the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. She enjoyed working with the NCAA drug testing program for nine years.
Mrs. Rice was an active participant in a number of civic and community associations. She was a volunteer and a member of the board of directors of the Greenwood County Mental Health Association, The Greenwood Museum, Community Concert Association, and Lander Greenwood Performing Arts. She was granted Member Emeritus of the Salvation Army Advisory Board after serving over twenty years.
She was a past president of the Greenwood County Medical Society Auxiliary, Atheneum Study Club, and Holly Garden Club. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, a former teacher in the Primary Division, and a member of the John Knox Sunday school class. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Rice is survived by three sons and one daughter: William T. Rice, Jr. (Cynthia) of Raleigh, NC; Nancy Rice Powers, MD (David) of Greenville, SC; David G. Rice, MD (Elaine) of Winston-Salem, NC; and John L. Rice, MD (Mona) of Asheville, NC.
She is survived by eight grandchildren: LT Katherine Elizabeth Rice USN, Carolyn Powers Wiersma, MD (Nathan), Thomas Wesley Powers, PhD (Virginia), Alan Lewis Rice, Alicia Kaitlyn Rice, Nathan William Rice, Collin Benjamin Rice, and Ian James McCoy Rice. She is survived by four great grandchildren: Virginia Avery Powers, William Thomas Powers, Lucy Noelle Wiersma, and Isaac Nicholas Wiersma. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 2:00 pm at Ashelawn Memorial Chapel with Rev.
Darrell Graybeal officiating. Burial will follow in Ashelawn Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 23, 2019 prior to the funeral service at Ashelawn.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Salvation Army or Bowers-Rodgers Children’s Home in Greenwood, SC. You may send and view condolences to the family through our website, www. ashelawn.com.
Ashelawn Memorial Chapel and Gardens was entrusted with Mrs. Rice’s arrangements.
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