Joan (Jody) Rice Heninger Obituary (1932

Joan (Jody) Rice Heninger, the only child of William Harvey White and Ocia Belle Cooley, died on November 2, 2019 following a fall and a five-year struggle with Alzheimer’s. She was 87. Jody was born on August 15, 1932 in Whittier, California. She spent her early years in a small home on the oil fields her father oversaw. With no children nearby, Jody found joy in solitary things. She was a reader and a dreamer-- checking out library books each time her parents went into town, and filling sketchbooks with the beautiful clothes she dreamed of making someday. At the age of 10, Jody moved into “town”, to Compton, where she would take the street car to school. In the spring of 1950, Jody graduated from Fullerton Union High School with plans to study fashion design. When she met and fell in love with Gene Rice, a Navy veteran, Jody decided she needed a more “reliable career”. She changed her major and graduated from Whittier College with a degree in elementary education. On September 2, 1952, Jody married Harold Eugene Rice. The newlyweds moved to Los Angeles where Jody taught second and fourth grades while Gene finished dental school. They started their family in 1961, having three children in less than four years. The family lived in Fullerton where Jody was involved in Assistance League, played competitive tennis, and earned a master’s degree in reading from Cal State Fullerton. In 1978, they moved to Provo, Utah where Jody continued to play tennis, learned to ski, and formed lifelong friendships. Jody became an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1981, and served faithfully in each calling she was given. Gene and Jody built their dream house in Midway in 1995. That home became the gathering place for their rapidly growing family. Her grandchildren remember homemade slip ‘n slides, naps in front of the fireplace, holiday celebrations, and Grandma Jody’s baked beans. Although Gene passed away in April of 2000, the family gatherings continued in her home. Those were magical years. Jody found joy in solitary things again-- reading the best books, solving daily crossword puzzles, and tending the wildflowers that lined her side yard. She studied Spanish for six weeks in Oaxaca, Mexico, volunteered at the 2002 Winter Olympics, and took a long riverboat cruise through Europe. For more than ten years, Jody spent every Monday serving meals at the Provo Food Coalition. Jody also served a part-time mission, giving tours of the LDS Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City. She loved both experiences immensely. Jody married Richard Heninger, a long-time family friend, on June 1, 2013. For six years, they were companions who loved and supported each other through happy times as well as unexpected health challenges. Jody is survived by her husband, Richard, her children, Michael Rice, Leslie (Lane) Murray, and David (Robin) Rice, 10 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. She will be dearly missed. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 9, 2019 at the Berg Drawing Room Chapel, 185 East Center Street, Provo, Utah. Friends may visit with the family from 1-1:50 p.m. prior to services. Interment will be in Eastlawn Memorial Hills. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.bergmortuary.com.