William C. Rice

Mr. Rice died Thursday, April 24, 2003, in Chillicothe.

He was born Sept. 12, 1911, in Mountain Home, Ark., the son of William C. Sr. and Mary Rebecca (Holt) Rice. He was raised in the Warrensburg, Mo., area, and graduated from Warrensburg High School in 1929. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Warrensburg State Teachers College in 1932, a master’s degree in music education from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., in 1939, and a Ph.D. in music from University of Iowa in 1953.

Mr. Rice served with the American Red Cross during World War II. He was an international representative for two prisoner of war camps, in Herne, Texas, and Huntsville, Texas. He taught public school in Middletown, Mo., Nevada, Mo., and St. Joseph, Mo. In 1939, he began teaching at Baker University, where he also served as chair of the music department. He retired in 1978.

Mr. Rice wrote several books, including “Music and Worshiping in the Church,” “Basic Principles of Singing,” “Vocal Techniques for Children and Youth,” and “A Concise History of Church Music.” He was a consultant on the hymnal committee for the 1964 revision of the Methodist Hymnal.

He supervised the design of the Reuter Concert/Church Organ in Baldwin’s First United Methodist Church and of Baker’s Fine Arts building. He helped organize the National Fellowship of Methodist Musicians, now known as the National Organization for Music and Other Arts, of which he was president for three years. He was given Central Missouri State University’s Honorary Music Alumnus Award, elected to Northwestern University’s Pi Kappa Lambda honorary fraternity, given Baker University’s Outstanding Educator Award in 1978 and was awarded an honorary alumnus in 1989. He was also active in First United Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge and Rotary Club, all in Baldwin.

He married Veta Nadine Douthit in 1933 in Warrensburg, Mo. She died in 1980. He married Melba Ruth Chancelor Houchin in 1981 in Baldwin. She died in 2002.

Survivors include children and stepchildren, Richard, Pittsburg, Janet Reed, Chillicothe, Anthony Houchin, Waverly, Daniel Houchin, Lawrence, Phyllis Houchin, Zepher Hills, Fla., and Patsy McConn, Graff, Mo.; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, stepgrandchildren and stepgreat-grandchildren.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. today at Lamb-Roberts Funeral Home in Baldwin, where the family will receive friends from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. today.

The family suggests memorials to the church, sent in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 64, Baldwin 66006.