Funeral service for MSG (Ret) James Allen "Jim" Rice, 69, Lawton, will be 2:00 pm, Wednesday, October 8, 2014, in the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel. Jim died suddenly on Friday October 3, 2014 due to complications of acute myeloid leukemia. Burial with military honors will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 6pm to 8 pm on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 at the funeral home. Jim was born September 5, 1945 in San Rafael, California to William and Henrietta Rice. He joined the U. S. Army October 6, 1965 in San Rafael, California and after two tours in Korea, two tours in Germany, Hawaii and then stateside retiring as a Master Sergeant on January 8, 1986 in Lawton. Immediately after retiring from the Army he started working for TELOS Federal Systems and ending with L3 Communications, retiring again in 2006. Jim spent almost twenty years after the military living on a farm southwest of Cache, Oklahoma, enjoying the life of a gentleman farmer raising goats and horses while working full time. While living on the farm Jim married the love of his life, Gwyneth on October 28, 1988 in Lawton, a match made in heaven. He very much enjoyed living in the clean country air, surrounded by wheat fields, but due to worsening health they had to sell the farm and move to Lawton. After being diagnosed with colon cancer in 1996 and having ostomy surgery Jim joined the United Ostomy Association of Lawton-Fort Sill and within his first year was voted President, a position he held until health forced him to step down this year. He was very proud of the association's outreach to folks dealing with all kinds of ostomies, visiting folks at home or in the hospital and maintaining a loan closet donating to those without the means to obtain ostomy supplies. Jim was also a lifetime member of the VFW, VVA and DAV. Jim so loved his wife, children, family and friends, his country and God. He is survived by his wife Gwyneth Rice; daughter and her husband, Elizabeth and Carl Sanders; two sons and their wives, Timothy and Mara Winders and Kenneth and Sherry Winders; grandchildren, April Lynn and husband Martin Mattice, Zachary Winders, Zane Winders, Michael Conner, McKenna Winders, William Winders and Dahlia Winders; Sister in law, Elizabeth Synol; cousins, Katie and Larry Kinder and Pat and Mel McCormack; and many wonderful nieces and nephews. Those wishing to make donations in memory of James A. Rice may do so to the Humane Society of Lawton-Comanche County, P.O. Box 3134, Lawton, OK 73502.