SSFD Life Member Donald Rice, 82, a radio engineer with WWDC and the Voice of America, died of congestive heart failure Feb. 18 at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney. Don joined SSFD on Feb.2, 1949 and was made a life member on March 17, 1969. He lived in Silver Spring.
Don, a native of Brunswick, graduated from Montgomery Blair High School. He served in the Navy, based in the United States, at the end of World War II. He returned to the Washington area after his discharge and graduated from Capitol Radio Engineering Institute in 1949. He then joined WWDC, where he worked for the next 19 years, becoming operations manager. He then moved to the Voice of America as a radio engineer, working there until he retired in 1987.
In addition, Don co-owned and operated M & D Audio, in which he worked as an engineer for visiting sportscasters covering games involving the Washington Redskins, Capitals and Bullets. He sold the business in the 1990s.
As an SSFD member Don served as vice president in 1962 and 63 and on the Board of Trustees for many years, starting in 1954. He also served on various committees. in November of 1950 he sustained a serious leg injury when he fell from a Silver Spring ladder truck enroute to a call.
A memorial service will be held at 1400 hours on March 7 at the Mill Creek Parish United Methodist Church, 7101 Horizon Terrance, Derwood, where he was a member.
His wife of 40 years, Jean Blomquist Rice, died in 1990. Survivors include his daughter, Donna Rice Kerns of Gaithersburg; and twin grandchildren.
