Bob was born to Benjamin Lee and Anna Ladessie (Troxel) Rice on March 13, 1933, in Kidder, South Dakota, the ninth of eleven children.

He attended primary school at Red Iron #3, a one room country schoolhouse in the Coteau des Prairies hills near his home. He attended high school in Havana, North Dakota, then on to Sisseton High School his junior and senior year, while also working with his older brothers on their family farm. He felt compelled to leave at age 17 to join the army.

In 1955 he married Kathy Schmaus, and they had 2 children, Wayne and Sheila. They were married for 25 years before divorcing and always remained good friends.

With small kids in tow, he moved to Pierre, SD and began working for Western Construction Company on the Oahe Dam project until its completion in 1962, after which he followed them to The Dalles, Oregon where he worked on the construction of I-84. He was a proud member of his Union, Local 701 and loved his work as a heavy equipment operator and foreman until his retirement. During his retirement, he enjoyed completely restoring 13 vintage tractors and several old Hit & Miss gas engines. He enjoyed taking his tractors to vintage tractor shows and driving them in the local parades.

He leaves to mourn his two children, Wayne Rice and Sheila (Craig) Pettit, grandchildren, Lauren Verhaeghe and Michael (Erin) Pettit, great-grandson Kalem Verhaeghe and great-granddaughter Evelyn Pettit, and his sister, Dorothy Dahlberg. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Benjamin, Howard, William (Scott), and Donald, and sisters, Dora, Vera, Gladys, Thelma and Anna Mae.

He was a kind, honest and hardworking man, with faith in God and a good sense of humor. He loved his family very much and was always there for them. He was very happy to be a grandpa to his two grandchildren and a great grandpa to little Kalem and Evie. He will be terribly missed by his family and all who loved him.