Christendom Mourns the Passing of Beloved Professor Emeritus Mary Alice Rice

Christendom mourns the passing of beloved professor emeritus Mary Alice Rice, who passed away after a brief illness on January 17, 2025, having received the Last Rites of the Catholic Church in the presence of close members of her family. A loving teacher, mother, wife, and friend to many, Mary Alice faithfully served the college for nearly four decades, teaching hundreds of students French and grammar, and leaving a profound impact on generations of alumni and on the college as a whole. She was 77.

“As Christendom College mourns the passing of Mary Alice Rice, we carry within our hearts and minds the joyful memories of this great pioneer of the College,” says College President George A. Harne, Ph.D. “She generously and tirelessly shared the treasures of her faith, learning, and wisdom with her students, colleagues, and all those who knew her. And she was an example to us all. Her memory will endure among us even as we pray for the repose of her soul and the consolation of her family, ever looking forward to the joy of the resurrection.”

Mary Alice née Graves Rice was born in 1947 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, taking on the natural role of teacher from an early age. She graduated with honors in a triple major (English, French, and mathematics) from the University of Central Arkansas, later earning her master’s degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Oregon. There, she met her future husband, Dr. Robert C. Rice, and they were married in 1973.

Mary Alice married her husband, Dr. Robert C. Rice, in 1973.

In September of 1981, Mary Alice, along with her husband, moved to Front Royal, Virginia, and joined Christendom’s faculty. They were among the initial group of professors at the college, helping to shepherd the school from its humble beginnings to where it now stands today.

In September of 1981, Mary Alice, along with her husband, moved to Front Royal, Virginia, and joined Christendom’s faculty.

Mary Alice served under three of Christendom’s presidents, teaching courses such as Elementary and Intermediate French I and II, French Composition and Conversation, French Medieval Literature, and the Grammar Workshop, where she came to know and be known by many of the college’s students across nearly four decades. In the early years of the college, she also gave generously of her time as the college’s gardener, beautifying the campus for the students, faculty and staff.

Mary Alice was a beloved professor. teaching many of Christendom’s students over the course of nearly four decades.

In July of 2021, Mary Alice retired from teaching, just three months away from the fortieth anniversary of her start at Christendom. As a tribute to her, the college’s faculty made her a professor emeritus on the occasion of her retirement, “in grateful thanksgiving for her decades of service to the Christendom community.”

Christendom made Mary Alice a Professor Emeritus in 2021.

“Mary Alice Rice, from the very early years of the college, was a joyful servant to the mission of the college,” says President Emeritus Dr. Timothy O’Donnell. “As a professor of French and the illustrious ‘grammar workshop,’ the students came to know firsthand her cheerful presence. Her faithful and loving support for her husband, Robert, who served so many years as Vice President of Academic Affairs, was an inspiration to all. Her three beautiful children, Gregory, James, and Elizabeth, were a regular part of the Christendom experience in the early years. When Cathy and I first visited Christendom College back in 1982, it was Mary Alice and Robert who hosted us and welcomed us into their lovely home. Mary Alice often served the college community in many hidden ways, including her tireless watering of the plants in different locations around our expanding campus. Her warmth and loving smile will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her. May Our Lord bless her, receive her soul and console Robert and her children.”

Mary Alice was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, doting on her three children and fourteen grandchildren every chance she got.

Mary Alice dedicated nearly four decades of her life to the college and its students, with her loving presence impacting the student body, the faculty, and the staff in so many countless ways. From hosting movie nights and dinners at her home, to delivering cookies and a witty remark to anyone she passed by as she walked around campus, Mary Alice gave totally of herself to Christendom and to her family.

The college owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mary Alice for her love and faithfulness. Truly, the Christendom that stands today would not exist with her or her husband, Robert. Mary Alice will be greatly missed at the college, but her legacy of service and fidelity to Christendom will continue on for generations to come.