Obituary of George S. Rice

Niskayuna-George S. Rice, 98, of Niskayuna, passed away on September 13, 2020. Born in Niskayuna on February 20, 1922, he was the son of the late Stephen L. Rice and Maude A. Male Rice. A lifelong resident of Niskayuna, he attended a two-room schoolhouse until grade 8 and graduated from Nott Terrace High School. Inducted into the Army during World War II, he was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone at the Albrook Air Force Base. George started work at the Schenectady Trust Company in 1948 as a teller, becoming a branch manager in 1954, and then mortgage officer in 1966. He graduated from the Stonier School of Banking at Rutgers in 1968. In 1969 he became Assistant Treasurer in charge of all Residential Lending. In 1972, he was promoted to Assistant Vice President, retiring in 1985 as Mortgage Loan Officer after 37 years of service with The Schenectady Trust Company (now Trustco Bank). George was a Founding member of the Niskayuna Rotary Club in 1955, serving for 50 years. As a member of the Niskayuna Reformed Church, he was on Consistory, Treasurer, and wrote a pamphlet on the history of the church. Married to his loving wife, Wanda, for 60 plus wonderful years, they enjoyed many interesting car trips every October all over the Northeast, Canada, Florida, and points in between, and attended the Church of St. Adalbert for many years. Extremely interested in family history, he enjoyed making albums for each branch of the family. He always kept a sense of humor, which he called his “Rice humor”, loved working on his daily puzzles and reading the comics in the newspaper. George said he was grateful for his life, felt very blessed, and had no regrets. In addition to his parents, George was predeceased by his wife, Wanda Gruszczynski Rice, his brother, William C. Rice and his half-sister, Velma Rice DeGuerre. He is survived by his loving and caring nieces, Sharon Rice Herbst (Bruce), Linda Rice Burger (John), of Niskayuna, and nephew, Dr. Keith W. Rice (Melissa) of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He is also survived by four grandnephews, one grandniece, three great-grandnieces and two great-grandnephews. He often referred to his nieces as his angels since they cared and supported him. There will be no public funeral service. A private service will be held inside the mausoleum at Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery on Monday, September 21, 2020. Entombment will be in Wanda and George’s crypt. No flowers please. Memorial contributions may be made in George’s memory to Niskayuna Reformed Church, 3041 Troy-Schenectady Rd, Niskayuna, NY 12309, the Schenectady City Mission, or the Salvation Army.