John Carver Rice

John Carver Rice, aged 77, of Manassas, VA passed away on Monday, January 16, at Novant Health Prince William hospital from complications of liver disease. John was born on January 21, 1939 in Glens Falls, NY, way up on the Hudson River. His family moved to Buffalo, NY during WWII so his father could work in a war factory. After the war the family moved to Rochester, NY, where his mother was a registered nurse and his father worked for Archer Motors. John attended PS 23 and Monroe High School. Because his father later worked for Rochester Institute of Technology, John received free tuition there. After RIT, John planned to join the Air Force. He was rejected due to poor eyesight. He was brokenhearted. He learned that Clarkson University needed teaching assistants, and landed a fellowship there. After earning a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, he went to work in the aerospace defense industry in Baltimore. There he met his wife Shirley. He was a true Renaissance Man. During these years, he taught himself to play the mandolin, to paint, astronomy and astrology. And a heavy dose of philosophy and mysticism. He loved to look for comets. His major achievement was the PRIME project, where he made many trips to the South Pacific. The project got a letter of commendation from the Air Force, and everyone was laid off. John returned to school, earning a Master’s degree from Penn State University as a transportation engineer. Later John worked for Prince George’s County, MD, Montgomery County, MD, and South Carolina. He finished his career as a traffic engineer with DMJM-Harris in Fairfax. John loved to teach classes for Lifelong Learning Institute-Manassas. He taught Astronomy, the Hyper-dimensional Hypothesis, Conspiracy Theories, Sub-atomic Particles and the Meaning of Life, and finally The Fermi Paradox. All of the classes were totally original productions by John. John is survived by his loving and caring wife Shirley, cousins scattered throughout the US, and his rescued cat family. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, January 24, at 11 AM at Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 8712 Plantation Lane, Manassas, VA 20110 with private interment. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church building maintenance fund, or a local animal rescue and treatment foundation, “Rally for the Roses” Battlefield Animal Clinic, 8138 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA 20109.

John Carver Rice

January 21, 1939 - January 16, 2017