Obituary of Melvin Rice
Rice, Frederick "Melvin"
A resident of Chatham, Mel peacefully passed away on Monday, November 6, 2017 at the Chatham-Kent Hospice in his 85th year.
Born & raised in Windsor, Mel was the son of the late Bill "Willy" & Hettie (nee Wadge) Rice.
Beloved husband of Joan (nee Salmons) for 65 beautiful years.
Loving father of Thom & Marg Rice, David & Deb Rice, the late Joanne (2012) & Fred Schatz and Paul & Eve Rice.
Missed by his furry companion, Dexter.
Grandpa of Nathan & wife, Melissa, Melinda, Brad, Julie & Tony, Aaron & wife Sarah, Jon, Corey & Katie, Jennifer & husband, Colin, Kim & husband, Scott.
Great-grandfather of 5.
Grandpa of several step-grandchildren & step-great-grandchildren.
Predeceased by siblings, Stanley, Marjory, & Robert, and their spouses.
Mel retired from teaching after 26 years of service. He taught children at Chatham-Kent Secondary School, teaching drafting & machine shop. Mel was an avid shooter and a lifetime member of the Kent Cloverleaf Conservation Club. As well as a devoted member of Maple City Baptist for many years.
Family to receive friends on Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at McKinlay Funeral Home, 459 St. Clair Street, Chatham from 3:00 - 5:00 pm & 7:00 - 9:00 pm. A Funeral Service will take place at 11:00 am on Thursday at Maple City Baptist, 500 Indian Creek Road West, Chatham. Burial to follow in Arnold Cemetery.
Donations in memory of Mel may be made to Cystic Fibrosis or the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com.
McKinlay Funeral Home
459 St. Clair Street,
Chatham
519 351 2040
Grief Support
The death of someone we care about can be one of the most difficult experiences in life. These articles are meant to describe different types of grief; their intent is to help you understand your own, or to help you empathize with another person's grief.
LEARN MORE >
Our Locations
McKinlay Funeral Homes is pleased to offer services from locations in Ridgetown, Blenheim, and Chatham. We have a wide range of services available in these communities. Please click on the link below for more information about these facilities.
LEARN MORE >
Send Flowers
Our local florists are committed to offering only the finest floral arrangements, and are backed by their professionalism and prompt service. Allow us to take care of your expression of sympathy by connecting with our local florists through our website.
LEARN MORE >
Let Us Help You
Please feel free to browse our pages to learn more about pre-planning a funeral and grief support, as well as the traditional funeral and cremation services that we have to offer. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us at anytime, we are available by phone or e-mail, or drop by the office in person. We are always here to help.
Ridgetown: Class 1 Funeral Establishment FE-397
Blenheim: Class 1 Funeral Establishment FE-41
Chatham: Class 1 Funeral Establishment FE-174
Nathan McKinlay is in charge of day-to-day operations in Chatham.
Jeff Mardling is in charge of day-to-day operations in Blenheim & Ridgetown.
Click HERE for the Bereavement Authority of Ontario's Consumer Information Guide.