Beverly Jo Rice

Beverly Jo Rice, 59, of Butler, formerly of Kittanning, Slate Lick and Tarentum, passed away Thursday at ACMH Hospital.

She was born Oct. 19, 1956, in Tarentum to the late Robert L. Rice and Clara Dee (Hirtz) Rice.

Bev loved to camp and make mountain pies. She also loved to travel, color and write her name on paper and books. She enjoyed watching cartoons and liked to shop. She liked getting her hair cut because she liked to look nice. She made sure her hair was always nice and liked to keep it short like a boy.

She attended Intermediate I.U. in Cadogan for a number of years. She then worked at the Progressive Workshop in Kittanning for years. Bev also attended Lifesteps day program ACTOR.

She was a member of the St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Cadogan, where she had her first Holy Communion and also attended the altar society with her mother.

Survivors include the only Dad she ever knew, Jay F. Beckett of Kittanning; her sisters, Linda Scott of Washington, Denise (George Kelly) Waltman of Ford City, Faith (Rick) Shaw of Kittanning, Sherry (Larry) Bliss of Rimersburg, and Mary Ann Rice of Kittanning; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

She also is survived by her loving, compassionate and caring extended family who were not only her caretakers but became close friends at Lifesteps on Butler Road, New Castle Road and Nixon House.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Clara Dee (Hirtz) Becket on June 17, 2012; her father; her paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Rice; her maternal grandparents, John and Clara Hirtz; her paternal grandparents, Clarence and Estella Beckett; her brother-in-law, Mike; and aunts and uncles.

RICE — Friends of Beverly Jo Rice, who died Thursday, June 9, 2016, will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Kennedy & Blodgett Funeral Home in Kittanning and from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Cadogan with the Rev. Alan Grote officiating. Interment will be at the Slate Lick Cemetery.Memorial contributions can be made in Beverly's honor to the Progressive Workshop, 301 Oak Ave., Kittanning, PA 16201.For more information, visit www.snydercrissman.com.