Ronald Carl Rice, 87, died at his home in Peachtree Corners on April 19, 2026. He was born on August 1, 1938 at the West Side Sanitorium in York, Penn. to Carl Luther Rice and Virginia Belle Webb Rice. Ron was a humble man with musical gifts and a keen wit. He was a devoted husband, father, and teacher who left a strong legacy with countless choristers and organ students throughout his 57-year career in church music.
Ron showed musical talent by beginning piano lessons at five years old. Music defined almost his entire life. Ron’s family moved to Sharonville, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, when he was 10 years old. He became the paid organist at Madisonville Methodist Church in Cincinnati when he was 15 years old.
Ron earned his Bachelor’s degree in music from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1960 and married Judith Marion Spear, a fellow student. They had their first child, Jorgia Celeste, on New Year’s Day, 1962. Ron earned his Master’s degree from the Conservatory that same year. He then served as the organist-choirmaster at Sixth Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.
In 1963, Ron was accepted as a student at the College of Church Musicians at National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. He studied organ with the masters, including Leo Sowerby, Paul Callaway, and Richard Wayne Dirksen. In 1964, a son, Carl Ronald Rice, was born at the Seventh Day Adventist hospital in Takoma Park, Md.
Ron graduated from the National Cathedral with the title “Fellow of the College of Church Musicians” in 1966. He became the first full-time organist-choirmaster at Christ Church, Georgetown.
In 1967, Ron was selected from many candidates across the country to be the first full-time organist-choirmaster for the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, where he served for eight years.
Ron moved to become the organist-choirmaster for St. John’s Episcopal Church, College Park, Ga. He also taught organ and music theory at Georgia State University; Morehouse College; Columbus College; and Kennesaw State University.
He became the full-time accompanist/organist for the Atlanta Boy Choir under the direction of Fletcher Wolfe in 1975. It was also this year that he and his wife, Judith, were divorced.
One of Ron’s organ students at Georgia State University was Tracey Elaine Rouse Dye, and they courted for five years before marrying on September 4, 1982. Ron left St. John’s in 1983 and worked for the State of Georgia in the Parks and Recreation Division. It was the first non-music job he had ever had and he loved (almost) every minute of it.
Ron and Tracey’s son, Michael Jonathan Rice, was born on December 7, 1984. Ron became a stay-at-home-dad. He said he had achieved his career goals and wanted to support Tracey in her career goals. They moved to Dallas, Texas in 1986 when Tracey took a job with Texas Instruments. Ron was recruited into action again by his friend, Gerald Near, who was organist-choirmaster at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. Gerald wanted to switch gears and devote more time to composing, and he said that there was no one he would relinquish the bench at the Cathedral to other than Ron. It was a wonderful, high-church experience with an all-paid choir, mostly made up of vocal students from Southern Methodist University plus Tracey. She sang in the choir and Michael became an acolyte.
In 1993, Tracey was recruited to Discovery Toys, so they moved to Concord, Calif. in the East Bay. Ron worked at All Souls, Berkeley and then at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Concord.
In 1995, Tracey joined The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. Ron worked at many churches including Decatur Presbyterian; St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, Marietta; Roswell Presbyterian Church; Mary Our Queen Catholic Church in Norcross; and Christ Church Episcopal, Norcross.
Finally, in 2010, Ron hung up his vestment. He often remarked how he had reached his ultimate goal of being organist-choirmaster of a cathedral so early in his career, and then he had a bonus second cathedral position. After serving churches for 57 years, he decided that he would take a break and “worship the holy porch” on Sunday mornings.
Ron loved all things British, Gothic architecture (especially the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. and Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City), English cathedrals, British comedy, Aeolian-Skinner pipe organs, English choral music, and PCC streetcars.
The freedom of not having to play weekly church services allowed Ron, Tracey, and Michael to travel, especially after Tracey retired from The Coca-Cola Company in 2011. They visited Puerto Rico, Italy, the Hawaiian Islands, had a cross-country Canadian train trip, a European River Cruise from Budapest to Prague, plus lots of smaller trips to the North Georgia mountains and nearby beaches in Hilton Head and the Florida panhandle.
Ron got the scare of his life when he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in 2009. He was told he might not live another two years, but he was diligent in taking care of his health and defied all odds by living another 17 years. But eventually, it was the cirrhosis, combined with moderate dementia and all of their complications, that took his life. By the time he reached 87, he was astounded with his good fortune. His was a good life, well lived, and a blessing to all he knew.
Survivors include his wife, Tracey and son, Michael, of Peachtree Corners; daughter, Jorgia Celeste Rice Northrup (Curtis) of Gainesville, Ga., and their son Albert Spear Northrup (Kirsten) of Denver, Colo; son, Carl Ronald Rice (Gail who died 1/1/26); and their children Melissa Gail Wilson (Jeremy), and their children, Logan Dale Wilson and Annalise Gail Wilson of Bethlehem, Ga.; plus another daughter, Jennifer Michelle Rice of Statham, Ga.; sister-in-law, Donna Rouse Lockman (Freddy) of Thomasville, Ga., their daughter Kelley Elaine Lockman Hill (James) and children, Andrew David Gauger and Alessandra Corinne Gauger of Durham, N.C; their son David Wayne Lockman (Kelly) and their children Mary Allison Lockman, and Charles Jacob Lockman, of Thomasville, Ga.; and former wife, Judith Marion Spear Rice Vaughn of Cumming, Ga.
The Episcopal Burial of the Dead Liturgy, officiated by The Rev. Edgar Otero, will be held at the Columbarium Niches in the Abbey section of historic Westview Cemetery, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Westview Cemetery is located at 1680 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, Atlanta. Later that same afternoon, a Celebration of Life reception and open house will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. at the family home, located at 4582 Outer Bank Drive, Peachtree Corners.
Finally, Ron remarked in his 300-page autobiography that the hymn-tune “Angel Voices” was his favorite hymn-tune out of the thousands he had played. The text is especially appropriate as we send him off to the heavenly angel choirs. The notations are his from Hymns Ancient and Modern.
