Robert “Bob” Albert Rice, 89, of Silverton, Idaho, passed away January 18, 2012 at the Shoshone Medical Center of Kellogg, Idaho. He was born March 4, 1922 at Morgan, Utah; Bob was the son of Charles Quimby and Adelia (Stecker) Rice.
Bob attended and graduated from the Clark Fork High School of Clark Fork, Idaho in 1940; he studied drafting and engineering after High School.
Bob moved to the Silver Valley in 1940 from Clark Fork, Idaho. He married Phyllis Brashear on June 8, 1941 at Wallace, Idaho.
Bob served in the U.S. Army during WW II; he served in the European theatre as a radio technician for an artillery battalion.
In 1947, Bob and Phyllis purchased a motel they called Rice’s Motel (later renamed the Emerald Empire Motel); they owned and operated this motel for twenty years. In 1949, Bob was hired as a mill superintendent at the Highland Surprise Mine. Then in 1951, Bob owned and operated a contracting business. Bob was hired in 1955 as a mill superintendent at the Rex Mill for Day Mine’s Mountain Goat Lease; he added to the mill a heavy media separation plant which increased the Mill’s capacity by four fold. In 1965, Bob served as a metallurgist at the Bunker Hill Concentrator and was later promoted to mill superintendent; Bob retired from the Bunker Hill in 1975. In 1966, Bob leased the Sidney Mine claim group, and later the Mascot Mine claim group and the Nabob Mill. These holdings were vended into Intermountain Mineral Engineers, Inc., a corporation they formed. This corporation formed a joint venture with United States Antimony Corp. for the operation of the Little Pittsburg Mine and a custom milling operation at the Nabob Mill. Later he would also do custom milling at the Nancy Lee Mill in Montana. His sons worked with him in this business until its closure in 1985. The operation provided concentrates for the Bunker Hill Smelter and milling for numerous mines throughout the Northwest. In 1984, Bob and Phyllis began acquiring real estate on the East Fork of Pine Creek with the total purchase of 160 acres, where they restored an old homestead house on the property. Bob secured two patented mill sites adjoining the properties, upon which he built a large shop and metallurgical laboratory. And finally in 1993, Bob hired some truck drivers and began doing work on the Superfund site cleanup, hauling contaminated material to the repositories and hauling clean material to the contaminated sites. The work carried into 2000, at sites such as Government Gulch, Canyon Creek and Smelterville.
Bob was elected to the boards of directors of many local mining companies including United States Antimony Corp., where he served as Vice President for many years, and he also served as President for Nabob Silver-Lead Co. for many years, the Judith Gold Co. and Merger Mines Corp.; Bob was also one of the founding members of the Osburn Lions Club and was a former member of the Wallace Elks; he was also a member of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church of Wallace and a member of the Society Of Mining Engineers.
Bob loved and enjoyed working, collecting rocks and polishing them, prospecting, fishing and in his younger years- hunting.
Bob is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years Phyllis Rice of the family home of Silverton, Idaho; three sons Robert Richard “Rick” Rice of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, Terry Lee and his wife Teri Rice of Kingman, Arizona and Ronald Eugene and his wife Dori Rice of Cataldo, Idaho; he is also survived by six grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren; Bob is also survived by many nieces and nephews including Charles Sprague, Anita Whiteside and Diane Copely; Bob was preceded in death by his parents, one son Charles Michael Rice, two sisters Viola and Winifred and one granddaughter Theresa Ann Isobe.
Cremation was held and Memorial Services will be held on Monday, January 23rd, 2012, at 11:00 A.M. at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church of Wallace, Idaho with Rev. Ken Bartle officiating. A reception for family and friends will be held at the Wallace Elks following services.
The family suggests that memorials may be made to the Shoshone Humane Society, P.O. Box 1005, Kellogg, Idaho 83837.
SHOSHONE FUNERAL SERVICES & CREMATORY KELLOGG, IDAHO is entrusted with funeral arrangements.
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Bob was great guy he will missed -- Carl and Tina Hojem
Phillis and family,what a wounderful man your husband and father was. Now he's with my Dad, Uncle Pete and Herb. there will be some mining going on where every their at. In Friendship, -- Dick Caron
I will always remember the many hours Bob spent with the Osburn Lion's baseball team when I was a teen. He was a true gentleman. -- Lee Lundal
Thank you Bob for everything you have done for me over the years. You are a man I truly respected, and will never forget. -- John Beasley
I am so sorry that I cannot be there today (Monday) with you, but you have been and will continue to be in my thoughts and in my heart. Cousins, weren't we blessed to have such wonderful men as our fathers? I love you all. -- Diane Copley
Phillis and Family our hearts go out to you and the family. Bob was a wonderful man. Mom and Dad so enjoyed our times with you and Bob.We wish you peace, with his passing and our prayers go out to you and the family. God Bless. -- Lynn (Walley) Brower
