Frank Bourland Rice

Frank Bourland Rice of Houston passed away on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at the age of 90 years. He was a native Houstonian and graduate of San Jacinto High School in 1950. He was also drum major of the San Jacinto High School Band. He played piano, organ and harp at many churches during his life and sang tenor in many church choirs. He was principal harpist of the Houston Youth Symphony. He attended Rice University, studying Pre-med and Romance Language, and he was also drum major of the Rice University Marching Owl Band. He joined the Navy in 1954 and worked as a hospital corpsman/operating room nurse in San Diego, Oakland, and Stockton, CA. He attended University of Colorado in Boulder and University of Houston and received a Bachelor of Science. After marrying the love of his life, Jo Mary Walters, he moved with Jo Mary and his daughter Amanda to Northridge, CA. There he received a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from California State University in Northridge and worked in the travel industry for many years in Van Nuys, CA managing Century City Travel and working for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines as a reservations agent, sales representative and flight attendant in both California and Texas. He acted in several films and commercials as well as print ads, radio and voiceovers. He was the Music Director at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Encino, CA where he played organ and directed the choir. He also had a theater repertory company which performed plays at St. Paul’s UMC. Two more daughters were born in CA; Marion in Encino and Melinda in Northridge. They loved their life in California swimming in the pool, camping and visiting Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Death Valley, Disneyland and Catalina Island. After the 1971 earthquake he and Jo Mary and his girls moved back to Houston, only to be greeted by a hurricane. Welcome home! Frank began a long rewarding and influential career in teaching theater in Houston. He was a founding teacher at The High School for Performing and Visual Arts and taught tech theater there for 6 years before teaching at Spring Branch High School and Northbrook High School in Houston. He touched so many lives during his years of teaching. He was more than a teacher, he was a mentor and role model for so many students. He was named teacher of the year at both Spring Branch High School and Northbrook High School.

He also directed the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston performing Patience, HMS Pinafore, Trial by Jury and Ruddigore at Jones Hall. He was an actor, director or producer of over 50 plays in his career. After he retired, he and Jo Mary moved to Medina Lake in Mico, TX. They built their dream home and enjoyed living on the lake for 18 years. During that time he and Jo Mary volunteered as EMT’s in Mico, TX for 3 years. He enjoyed sailing, skiing, horseback riding and gardening. Frank and Jo Mary hosted all their children and grandchildren and made wonderful memories there with their family. They sailed and swam in the lake with their grandchildren and all their dogs and enjoyed life to the fullest. They took the trip of a lifetime together with friends to Europe and spent 52 days visiting Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic and France. He is survived by his wife Jo Mary and three daughters; Amanda Rice Scheetz (husband - Dave Scheetz), Marion Thames (husband - Bill Thames), Melinda Mogas (husband - Matt Mogas), ten grandchildren; Spencer Scheetz, Katherine Kempf (husband - Danilo Kempf), Alexander Scheetz, MacKenzie Kiefer(husband - Garrett Kiefer), Sydney Mayo, Sydney Thames, Porter Thames, Mia Thames, Meghan Mogas and Macy Mogas and one great granddaughter; Odeya Ellen Kempf.

A family service will be held at the National Cemetery in Houston at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to HSPVA Friends, P.O. Box 52910, Houston, TX, 77052 or online at https://hspvafriends-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1206647

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.neptunesociety.com/location/houston-cremation for the Rice family.