AUG 17
2019
Kyle Thomas Rice
Kyle Thomas Rice entered into rest on August 17, 2019 at the age of 59 years surrounded by his family at his home in Houston, Texas after a courageous battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.
He was born on December 30, 1959 in Houston, Texas to Thomas And Rachel Rice. He received most of his public education in the Sheldon Independent School District and graduated from C.E. King High School in May of 1978. He attended Rice University on a 4 year football scholarship and graduated with a B.S. in Managerial Studies in December 1982.
Kyle married his high school sweetheart, Pam, on August 6, 1983 and they were married for 36 years at the time of his passing. They have one daughter, Emily, and a son, Jeremy. He began working as a City of Houston firefighter in 1986 and remained dedicated to his profession until he retired in June 2018 as a result of his cancer diagnosis. In addition to his work as a firefighter, he provided telephone and communication repair services to Anheuser Busch Brewery for many years, umpired all levels of baseball, served as President of Sheldon Little League from 2001‑2014 and is a lifetime member of Sheldon Youth Athletic Association. Kyle joined the Houston TASO Baseball Chapter in 2010. He also maintained the fields at SLL and spent numerous hours mowing grass and preparing fields for games. He enjoyed many outdoor and sports activities including golf, hunting, fishing and snow skiing. Kyle also served as a Commissioner for ESD #2. Kyle and his wife are members of Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Spring, Texas.
Kyle always had a smile, his passion for perfection was shown every time he walked on the field. His presence was undoubtedly appreciated by the coaches’ players and most of all his partners. Kyle was not afraid to take on an assignment, as a matter fact he would never pass up an opportunity to improve. Kyle was a man we were all blessed to get to know as a partner, mentor and most of all a friend. We will miss Kyle, but we all know he will be looking over us when we are making those tough calls. Smiling and giving us that bump on the hip.
