Linda Maureen Rice

Linda Maureen (Lee) Rice, of Mendota Heights, passed on April 1, 2025 after a brief hospitalization. She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Norman R. Rice, and her brother Gerald Lee of Spokane. She is survived by her sister, Mavis Karn of Mendota Heights and her brother David Lee (Martha Jordan) of Los Angeles as well as her four children, Jennifer Olsen, Jessica Rice, Jeffery Rice (Lisa) and Samantha (Folkert Boonstra) Rice, grandchildren Courtney, Nathan, Megan, Madelin, Sonia and Logan, and great-grandson Sonny.

Linda was born in Wimbledon, ND on Nov. 14, 1941, the third of four children born to Ingvald and Helen (Solberg) Lee. She attended South St. Paul High School, enjoyed participating in many campus organizations. She was crowned Miss South St. Paul in 1959 and was a runner-up in the Miss Minnesota pageant.

While attending Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, she met and married Norman Richard Rice, Jr., a fellow cast member in a production of Anastasia. They moved to suburban Chicago where they both worked as actors, which led them to California in 1975, their four children in tow. Linda always had many projects going at once, and though she continued her work as an actress, she was more proud of her work with the Girl Scouts, leading troops for her three daughters and organizing the annual cookie drive as a chairperson for the San Fernando Valley Girl Scout Council. For several years she enjoyed working as a literary agent, but her focus was always on her family.

In 1987, she and Norman moved to Orlando, Florida where she volunteered with CITE (now Lighthouse Central Florida) and taught Sunday School to high school students. She and Norm also loved to golf and Linda has a hole-in-one at Bay Hill to her credit.

After Norman retired, they moved to Mesa, AZ and put their considerable skills to use volunteering with Laborers for Christ, and enjoyed all the connections they made through these projects. After several years they moved again to Ray, North Dakota where Norm and Linda built their retirement home on Lake Sacagawea and enjoyed many memorable visits from their friends, family, children, and grandchildren. After Norm passed away in 2009, Linda moved back to St. Paul to be closer to her family.

Linda’s home was always a magnet for her children and grandchildren. Her two oldest daughters both moved to be with her in her final years. Linda was known as Grandma Moe to her six grandchildren and great-grandson. She also loved keeping up with her fifteen nieces and nephews and a vast extended family of cousins.

There was ‘never a dull moment’ in Linda’s life, and she approached everything with zeal and commitment. She was a beacon of kindness for those who knew her, and her passing will be deeply mourned by her loving family and friends.

Her ashes will be buried next to her husband in a private family gathering in Williston, ND this summer. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her name to Save the Children or the Girl Scouts of America.

With love,

Jennifer, Jessica, Jeffery and Samantha