Rev. Billy Joe “Bill” Rice, Sr.

Rev. Billy Joe “Bill” Rice, Sr., 84, of Glen Alpine went to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 after a period of declining health.  Bill was born in Madison County to Dewey and Dora Norton Rice.  He was the sixth of nine children.  He graduated from Sand Hill High School in 1955 and proudly served in the US Army from 1957 to 1960.  A strong man of faith, he pursued and proclaimed Christ throughout sixty years of ministry with the Pentecostal Holiness Conference.  He served in churches in Virginia and Western North Carolina.

Bill was a loving and caring husband to the late Helen Taylor Rice for fifty-five years.  He was preceded in death by grandson, Spencer Berry; brothers, Jimmy, Sam, Odus, and Clayton; and sister, Sally.

Bill was also a loving father, grandfather, and brother and is survived by children, Lisa Rice Keller (Billy) of Valdese, Lorie Rice Berry (Andrew) of Valdese, and Billy Joe Rice, Jr. of Anderson, NC; grandchildren, Erin Berry, Brooke Combe, Alex Berry, Connor Rice, and Emma Rice; great-granddaughter, Peyton Shuman; and two sisters, Mary Payne (Ray) and Lou Mundy, both of Asheville.  He was in constant prayer for his family.

Rev. Rice will be available for viewing from 12 to 1 p.m., Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at Crosslink Church, 400 Malcolm Blvd., Rutherford College, NC.  The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. in the church with Rev. Frank Sossaman officiating.  Entombment will follow in Burke Memorial Park Mausoleum with military honors provided by the NC National Guard.

Memorial contributions may be made to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews at help.ifcj.org.

Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.