Garland E. "Jiggs" Rice, Jr.

Garland E. "Jiggs" Rice Jr. of Austin, Arkansas departed this life on December 29, 2014 at the age of 76. He was born February 12, 1938 in Arkansas City, Arkansas to Garland E. and Leona Rice. He graduated from Arkansas City High School, attended Arkansas State College – Beebe Branch and Monticello A&M. He served his country in the United States Army. On February 14, 1961, he married the love of his life, Carolyn Rice. He was a loving husband and great father. After 39 years, he retired from LaGloria Gas and Oil Company, a subsidiary of Texas Eastern Product Pipeline Company as a Terminal Foreman. He had been a Deacon at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. He enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and fishing with his family. He loved playing dominos, as he did every weekday with his friends at the VFW Post #7769, where he was a Master Mason. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, his parents, (Garland E. and Leona Rice), his brother, Robert "Dicky" Rice and his loving daughter, Linda LeAnn Rice. He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Carolyn Rice; his two sons, Garland E. "Butch" Rice III (Robin) and Joseph Allen "Jody" Rice; four grandchildren, Garland E. Rice IV, Patricia Katelyn Walburn, Robert Colton "Colt" Rice and Codi Rice; three great-grandchildren, Riley Renee Walburn, Garland E. "Garrison" Rice V, and Corbin Hamby; sister, Vallie Jean Westrop; one nephew, four nieces, numerous cousins and five men that he cared for very deeply and whom loved him as their father, Jeffrey Holt, John Johnson, Tim Hogan, Steve Leslie and Wayne McCowan. A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m., Friday, January 2, 2015 at Union Valley Church, Beebe, Arkansas. Memorials can be made in his honor to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, 1400 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Ark. 72201. Cremation arrangements by Smith – Westbrook Funeral Home. www.SmithFamilyCares.com.