Joe Rice was born May 7, 1955, in Eureka, Calif. He passed away peacefully in Auburn, WA, Thursday, April 23, 2015 in the presence of his family.
Joe grew up in Aberdeen where he attended Aberdeen High School and graduated in the class of ‘73. Joe initially spent his post-high school years crabbing in Tokeland,WA, and in the Bering Sea.
It was not long until Joe found his calling as a longshoreman and militant ILWU member. Joe was a member of ILWU Local 24, Grays Harbor, where he served on the Executive Board and Safety Committee before retiring from Local 52, Seattle.
Joe’s civil service resume included elected office as the Aberdeen City Council - Finance Committee Chairman. A passion for social justice led Joe to involvement in union action; he often recalled solidarity marches around the Harbor.
Joe was always an artist and collector of art who loved to hike in Olympic National
Park and white water raft in the Wenatchee and Dechutes Rivers. Later in life he loved gardening with his daughter, Lauren, and watching his son, Anthony, play football at Pacific Lutheran University.
He is survived by a son: Anthony, Oakland, CA; a daughter: Lauren, Enumclaw; two sisters: Mary Rice Russell, Wenatchee and Donna Jean Leland, Seattle; and also one grandson.
A funeral service will be held at 1 PM Thursday, April 30th at Fern Hill Funeral Home chapel, Aberdeen. Interment will take place in Fern Hill Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Polson Museum.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you please make donations in Joe's memory to Youth Care at www.youthcare.org, or the Southern Poverty Law Center at donate.splcenter.org
Arrangements are entrusted to Fern Hill Funeral Home, 2208 Roosevelt St., Aberdeen

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