Ralph Lenual Rice, Jr. was born April 2, 1943 in Richmond, California.  He was the son of Ralph, Sr. and Pauline Niblett Rice.  He was raised in Salinas, California for 21 years.  He graduated from Salinas High and LDS Seminary.  He served in Montevideo, Uruguay Mission for three years.  He worked many jobs in his young life; he picked strawberries at age 8, worked lettuce and celery, onions and sugar beets to earn school clothes, as a delivery boy, he sold shoes, tires, and hardware at Sears, waited tables, washed dishes, sold Real Estate, and did advertisements.  He owned part of a restaurant in Lake Tahoe, and a dry-cleaning business in Salinas, teaching high school, summer at juvenile hall and boys ranch.

He was married to Cristina Ramos in 1966 and they were later divorced.  He married Diane Hansen in the Provo Temple on October 12, 1989.

He was active in the LDS Church; serving as Seminary Teacher, Branch President , and Sunday School President.  He served a mission with his sweetheart and wife in the Spain, Las Palmas, Canary Islands.  He worked in the Provo Temple for 15 years, the last three alongside Diane.

He graduated BYU in 1968 with a B.A. in Spanish and Psychology and in 1969 with a Masters in Public Administration.  He taught Spanish and Special Education, retiring from Salinas High School District in 1988 and moved to Provo, Utah to work on a Doctorate in Education Administration.

He enjoyed his family and with Diane and their extended families held Christmas at Aspen Grove every year, which was a treat beyond measure.  They also enjoyed summers at Fish Lake.

He is survived by his son, Dan (Diana) Rice, Lehi, Utah; daughter, Deana Phlegar, Vinton, Virginia; four step children, Clark (Diana) Nielsen, Paula Harding, Salt Lake City, Utah, Patricia (Mike) Cronquist, Mapleton, Utah, Deanna (Tom) Lindsey, Springville, Utah; 21 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren; three brothers, Joe (Chinita) Rice, Salinas, California, Duane (Kim) Rice, Springville, Utah, Keith Rice, Fremont, California; and one sister, Anita (Gerald) Blackburn, Boise, Idaho.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Diane; daughter, Shannon; and son, Brandon.

Family and friends may visit on Friday, August 2, 2019 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 187 S. Main Street, Spanish Fork, Utah.  Graveside services will follow at 12:00 Noon at the Benjamin Cemetery, 7400 South 3200 West, Benjamin, Utah, under the direction of the Bishop of The Oakhills 6 ^th Ward.