Obituaries

Joyce Robinson Rice Laney

Photo of Joyce Robinson Rice Laney Photo of Joyce Robinson Rice Laney
Joyce Robinson Rice Laney of Little Rock passed away Friday December 12, 2014. Born January 6, 1928 in Omaha, Nebraska to William Alden Robinson and Velma Rigby Robinson, Joyce graduated from North High School in Omaha in 1946, and attended William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri and Omaha University in Omaha, Nebraska. Early in her career Joyce worked for KOWH-FM radio in Omaha where she served as an on-air personality, as well as Women's Director and Traffic Manager. Joyce also did commercials for WOW-TV around the same time period. In 1970 Joyce went to work for Worldwide Travel in Little Rock and Jacksonville, Arkansas where she was a travel agent and ultimately manager of the Jacksonville office, and an officer in the company. Joyce married Ted Alden Rice in 1949 in Omaha and they had three children: Robin, Ted Jr. and Todd. The family moved to Little Rock n 1959 and joined Joyce's beloved St. Mark's Episcopal Church where she served on the Vestry, taught Sunday School for fourteen years and was Christian Education Secretary. Her passion for her church and the lifelong friendships forged there were a major part of her life. Joyce was also an active volunteer through the years with Girl Scouts of America, Ouachita Girl Scouts Council, Habitat for Humanity, St. Vincent Infirmary and UAMS. In 1980, Joyce met and married Col. James Raine Laney (Jim) who turned out to be the love of her life. She promptly gave up her career so they could spend all of their time together. They traveled, cooked, entertained - and lived life to the fullest. She often said her time with Jim represented the "greatest years of her life". Joyce's faith and love for Christ was extraordinarily strong. She was completely at ease and ready to join those that she loved and missed so dearly. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, William ("Robbie") and Velma Robinson, her husband Jim and her beloved daughter, Robin. She is survived by, and will be missed dearly by, her brother, Richard Robinson (Marion), sons, Ted Jr. (Beth), Todd (Kathy), son-in-law, Pat Badley, stepdaughters, Sheryl Van Campen and Michelle Sims, a host of nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom she was very proud of and loved very much. The family wishes to thank the fine physicians and nurses who watched over all of us over the past couple of weeks. Your care and guidance was so helpful, and very much appreciated. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17 at Ruebel Funeral Home in Little Rock. The funeral service will be Thursday, December 18 at 10 a.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church located at 1000 N. Mississippi in Little Rock. Burial will be private for the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in memory of Joyce Arlene Laney to St. Mark's Episcopal Church or Heifer International. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.

Published December 16, 2014

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