On Saturday, September 18, 2021, loving mother, wife and grandmother, Katherine Kay Rice passed away at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Tragically, just four weeks earlier, Kathy lost her loving husband Jeff Sr unexpectedly and was unable to truly mourn his passing as she was admitted into the hospital just a day after his funeral.
Funeral Services for Kathy was held Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 6:00 PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation (4565 Pleasant St. SE) in Prior Lake. A visitation will take place prior from 4:00 – 6:00 PM. Family and friends can watch a recording of the service at the following link: Kathy Rice Funeral Service .
Everyone who knows Kathy can testify to her selflessness and that everything she did was done with the utmost purpose, care, and love…for others. Kathy was born in Rockford, Illinois to Sam and Katie Osborne on November 13, 1945 and was raised there with her brothers Sam and Jim as well as her sisters Sandra and Judy. In her late teens, she met Jeff Rice Sr. the man whom she would be married to for 54 years, and they raised two children of their own, Jeff Jr. and Scott.
Kathy spent those 54 years as the “rock” for her husband and family, as well as many of those who had the privilege of knowing her. She was the wife who lovingly supported her husband through life’s ups and downs. She was the mother who loved her children unconditionally. She was the friend that could be counted on. She was a proud grandmother that couldn’t get enough of her grandsons, Sam and Joe.
Kathy appreciated life with a full heart and those who knew her best will remember her love for cooking, shopping, traveling and cheering on her grandsons at Lakers hockey games. Kathy worked at The HairMate salon in Prior Lake for the last 15 years. She always told us how much she loved the conversations with the customers and her co-workers.
While Prior Lake was where they spent most of their life, Kathy and Jeff Sr. also lived in Las Vegas, NV and Cape Coral, FL, where she had a special affinity for time at the beach, on the water, or at a Fort Myers flea market. Kathy always had a great story to tell about times at such places as the Top O’ Mast or the Pink Shell and how trips to Florida and spending time with loved ones meant the world to her…always with a Jimmy Buffett or Neil Diamond song as a backdrop.
Kathy will be missed dearly by those who remain as she was still so vibrant and had articulated many plans to enjoy life with her family. She is preceded in death by her loving husband Jeff Sr., her parents Samuel and Katherine Osborne; her brothers Samuel and Jim Osborne; and sister Judy. Kathy is survived by her sons Jeff Jr. and Ceci, Scott and his wife Carrie, her grandsons Sam and Joe, her sister Sandra Milligan and her precious dog Moose.
