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Roberta “Bobbi” Rice died peacefully on March 7, 2021 at the Fargo Sanford Hospice House. She had suffered a major stroke February 22, 2021.
Roberta “Bobbi” Fay Rice was born on October 24, 1941 to Robert C. and Mildred F. (Lee) Rice in Mitchell, S.D. Her family moved to Sisseton when she was a young girl. She graduated from New Effington, S.D. and attended Airline “Stewardess” School in Kansas City, KS. She lived in Washington, D.C. and then on to Los Angeles, CA and resided there for many years.
The next chapter of her life began with a move to Mississippi. She acquired her beloved parrot Alex Francis while living there. In the mid-‘80s Bobbi reconnected with a daughter that she had lovingly placed for adoption at birth. She moved to Sioux Falls, S.D. to be closer to family in the late ‘90s. Bobbi was overjoyed to be Grandmother to Bethany, Brittany, and Jordan.
Bobbi worked for Citibank for many years in Sioux Falls. She was a faithful member of St. Joseph’s Cathedral and active in many church activities. She later moved to St. Louis, MO to work for the Archdiocese of St Louis. Upon retiring from that employment, she and Alex Francis moved to Fargo, N.D. to live with her niece. Bobbi loved her family and friends and enjoyed gatherings and attending their events and activities.
Bobbi’s final place of employment was for Sanford Hospital as an E.R. Admissions Registrar. She worked at the downtown location until the move to the new hospital. She acquired many friends among co-workers and known for her work ethic, sense of humor and wit, and bringing treats and gag gifts. She truly loved her job and her work family but decided to retire mid-December of 2020.
Preceding her in death were her parents; a baby sister Lola Lee Rice; granddaughter Bethany Harms; her brother-in-law Andrew Eide; and great-nephew Michael Torgerson.
Roberta is survived by her sister, Marjorie Eide; daughter Barbara Gray and her husband Jim; granddaughter Brittany Erickson and her husband Chad and daughters Cali, Dani, and Gemi; grandson Jordan Carter; nephew Steven Eide; nieces Andrea Eide, Joan Brewster and her husband Tom, and Mary Jensen and her husband Dennis; great-nieces and nephews: Christie Torgerson and her children Alyssa Smith, Nicholas Smith and Sydney Smith; Katie Torgerson Dunphy and her husband Adam; Michaela Vanderpol and her husband Chip and their daughters Paitynn, Sophie, and Vienna; Adam Jensen, and Scott Jensen and his wife Kamra; and several cousins.
Memorial Service: Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the West Funeral Home in West Fargo ND, with visitation one hour prior to the service.
A second memorial service will be held at Sacred Heart Chapel in St. Joseph Cathedral in Sioux Falls, SD at 10:30 a.m. on May 22, 2021, with inurnment at Woodland Cemetery in Bryant, SD.
Please direct memorials to Sanford Children’s Hospital, the Carmelite Monastery of Alexandria, SD, or an organization of your choice.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Roberta "Bobbi" Rice, please visit our floral store.