Funeral services for Rayford Earl Rice, 77, of Angleton and formerly of Alto will be Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, at 10 a.m. at the O.T. Allen & Son Funeral Home chapel. There will be a visitation Monday, Feb.1, 2016, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home. Rayford Earl Rice was born April 30, 1938 in Alto, Texas. He completed his pilgrimage on Jan. 29, 2016, in Angleton, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents Claude David Rice and Delores Arrant Rice, his wife Peggye Truett Rice, his grandson Curtis Carter and a second wife JoAnn Chatelain Rice. He is survived by six children, 11 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and two wonderful siblings: Harold Rice and Sandra Brumley. Rayford Rice was born in Alto, Texas, to Depression-era farmers, Claude David Rice and Delores Arrant Rice. Life on the farm in Alto instilled the virtues which made the man we loved. Hard work was the first virtue that everyone observed about his life. From an early age until just days before his passing, he worked a job. Retirement, though earned, was not accepted, for he felt he needed to contribute to society, not take from or be a burden to anyone. He instilled that same work ethic into his children, teaching them not to quit, but to press on until the job was done. Loyalty, whether it was to his favorite sports team, coworkers, employers, or people he did business with, was profound principle of his life. He taught us all a lesson, that loyalty was not a passing fad, but a necessary tool in a person's life. A tool that in order to be used effectively, required a keen eye to see the worth of other people despite their station in life. A tool that needs selective hearing to filter out the bad and amplify the good. Broad shoulders and a strong back to bear the hardships of life's difficulties. A tool that needs strong arms to give a firm handshake of acceptance, or a hug of affirmation. Honesty, not a virtue of the weak and feeble,was another admirable quality. We live in a time when honesty has been replaced with political correctness. Rayford was a honest man, when asked his opinion, he often offended the inquirer. His opinions were molded by his Christian faith, observations of society, and a keen understanding of man's nature. "Do what is right regardless of the cost" was his creed. Love, not in a self-gratifying or pleasure-seeking motive but in sacrificial deeds, done with a pure heart was an enduring trait of his. This is best expressed when Rayford married Peggye Truett, a fiery redhead, divorcee, with four children. He took in all of them and gave them a home, purpose, discipline, and instruction for life. Together, he and Peggye had two more children, but there was never a hint of favoritism. His house was not a house of yours or mine, but it was ours. Rayford did not depart this Earth as a wealthy man, but he was rich in love and respect. His name was not known among the movers and shakers of our time, but it is known by the maker of Heaven and Earth. On Jan. 29, 2016, cancer did not kill Rayford Earl Rice. It simply opened the door to his eternal reward. Even cancer, the dread of man could not inflict upon him its heinous agony, for he went to bed on Thursday night in the comfort of his own home, never to awaken in the flesh from his slumber. "O death where is thy victory? O grave where is thy sting?" The Psalmist wrote "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Rayford would ask you the following question. "What is following you, and where shall you spend eternity?" - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dailysentinel/obituary.aspx?pid=177522951#sthash.oJH8Yf5i.dpuf