Wallace (Wally) Rice

Wallace "Wally" Rice of Cheyenne, Wyoming left the life he loved April 8, 2023 in Fort Collins, Colorado with family at his side. Services will be held at Ascension Lutheran Church on Saturday, May 6th at 11 a.m. and will be live streamed for those unable to attend in person. Scouts are encouraged to wear their uniform. A lunch reception will be provided afterwards. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Camp Chimney Park Scout Camp c/o Rick Eckhardt ( scouter.eckhardt@gmail.com ) or a charity of your choice. To access Wally's service via live stream, please follow the link provided: www.ascensioncheyenne.org . Once on Ascension Lutheran Church's webpage, follow the YouTube channel link to view.

Born May 3, 1936 in Basin, Wyoming to William and Emma Rice, Wally grew up in Laramie, Wyoming. Wally attended the University of Wyoming, majoring in Geology, and graduated in 1959. He worked in the oil fields, spent eight years with the Wyoming Army National Guard, and worked for the Wyoming Highway Department. He then found his passion teaching for Laramie County School District #1 for 33 years with 30 of those years teaching Earth Science and Geology at Central High School. He spent 16 years taking his Geology class on a week-long summer field trip to Utah. While teaching, Wally returned to the University of Wyoming to earn a Masters Degree in Natural Science in 1967. In 1964, Wally started coaching wrestling, initially at Central High School and later at several local junior high schools. He coached wrestling annually for 58 years until his passing. Each school year, the school district presents the Wally Rice Award for the Most Outstanding Junior High School Wrestler. Wally was very proud to have his name associated with the award.

Wally had a life-long love of Scouting. In 1948, Wally became a Cub Scout, staying with the program to earn his Eagle Scout as a Boy Scout in 1955. Wally became one of the fifty-one founding members inducted into Kola Lodge in the Order of the Arrow (OA), a Boy Scout honor camper society. He was elected Lodge Chief in 1954. In 1955, the OA awarded him the Vigil Honor and in 1996 the National Founder's Award. The Boy Scouts presented Wally the Silver Beaver Award in 1986, the highest award to a volunteer Scouter by a Boy Scout council. Chimney Park Scout Camp was his ongoing project of love with countless hours spent repairing and improving the camp.

In addition, Wally was Secretary/Treasurer of the Laramie Country Rheumatic Fever Prevention Society for 33 years. He spent 52 years as a local Science Fair judge. He also sponsored two Westinghouse National Science Fair winners in 1969 and 1975. He was a life member of the National Science Teachers Association. He was a member of Ascension Lutheran Church.

In his rare spare time, Wally enjoyed "drowning worms" by fishing, both at Chimney Park and at the cabin in Glen Haven, Colorado. Food was also always his passion with buffet his favorite food category.

Wally was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Richard Rice. He is survived by his sister Janice Smith, sons Steven Rice (Rita) and Kevin Rice (Shanda), granddaughters, (Maria, Ella, and Joelle), nephews, niece, cousins, and longtime companion Margaret Sewell and the families of her two children.