A devoted wife and mother who had a kind heart and contagious laugh
MELROSE — Mary Ellen (Tully) Rice of Melrose and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 9, 2022 in Marblehead, at age 97, surrounded by her loving family.
Born in Boston on January 18, 1925, Mary was one of four children of the late John J. and Margaret (O’Leary) Tully. She grew up in West Roxbury, graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Jamaica Plain and attended Lasell University. In her early years, Mary worked for New England Telephone Company, and decades later would rejoin the company now known as Verizon.
Mary met and later married her beloved John C. Rice, Jr., and the two settled in Melrose to raise their three children. She was very active in the community, serving as President of the Florence Crittenton League and as Trustee of the Boston organization. She also served as President of the Melrose Mothers Club, founded the Bellevue Bullets hockey team, and was the first woman on the Board of Melrose Youth Hockey.
Mary was an avid Boston sports fan and especially liked following some of her former players from the Bellevue Bullets who went on to play in the NHL. She loved the Bruins, Patriots, and Red Sox, often recalling happy times playing baseball with her brothers. She listened and danced to Sweet Caroline, the Red Sox 7th inning stretch song, right up until the end as the song brought her much joy and wonderful memories of times past.
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, Mary made sure she was always there for everyone. She was exceptionally active in the lives of her family. As a child, and through the 1970s, Mary summered at the family cottage on Long Beach in Rockport. Later, she spent summers at Eastern Point, organizing swimming and twilight sailing programs at the Eastern Point Yacht Club.
Mary loved the North Shore, and also adored Florida where she spent many winters. She was an active member of the Villa d’Este Social Committee and known as “Queen Mary” amongst her Florida friends. Mary enjoyed playing golf, tennis, croquet, and swimming, and was a longtime member of PGA National Golf Club, Bellevue Golf Club, and Eastern Point Yacht Club. Mary’s energy and enthusiasm, kind heart, positive outlook, perpetual smile, and contagious laugh will be missed by all blessed to know and love her.
Mary was predeceased by her brothers, John E., Francis J., and Gerard P. Tully.
She is survived by her children, Deborah Rice Noble and Christopher Noble of Marblehead; Shane C. Rice of Melrose; Brian K. Rice and Valeria Rice of Marblehead; her adoring grandchildren, Ashley Rice Noble of New York City; Harrison and Charlie Rice of Marblehead; her sisters-in-law Arlene Rice of Peabody and Peggy Rice of Melrose. Also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and friends.
Relatives and friends gathered in honor of Mary’s life during visiting hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main Street, Melrose on Wednesday, September 14, from 4-7 p.m., and again on Thursday, September 15, at 9 a.m. before leaving in procession to the Church of the Incarnation, 425 Upham Street, Melrose where her funeral Mass was be celebrated at 10 a.m. Interment at Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody.
Gifts in memory of Mary may be made to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923. For online tribute visit RobinsonFuneralHome.com.
