Marcia E. Rice died at age 85 on March 13, 2026, at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was born in Speedway, Indiana, to Renos and Dorothy Edwards, both of whom predeceased her. Her older sister, Marilyn E. Meyer, and younger brother, Eddie Edwards, also predeceased her.

Marcia graduated from Speedway High School in 1958, where she participated in many clubs and activities. She was both a cheerleader and a member of the marching band, so at halftime of football games she quickly changed from her cheerleading uniform into her marching band uniform and then back again! She was proud to sing in a trio called The Crystalettes during high school and into her college years. She was also active in Job’s Daughters in her youth.

Marcia attended Indiana University, where she joined the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and graduated in 1962 (A.B. Speech and Hearing Therapy). She then attended the University of Wisconsin, completing her Master's Degree in Audiology and Speech Pathology in 1963 and earning her CCC-SLP and CCC-A certifications in 1969. She worked as a clinician at Indiana University Medical Center (1963-65), and as an adjunct instructor at both Indiana University, Indianapolis Campus (1966-1970), and Lindenwood College, St. Charles, MO (1970-77).

She married Ronald B. Rice, M.D., in 1964 in Indianapolis. They welcomed both a daughter, Leigh-Anne, and a son, Gregory. Their daughter was born with a hearing loss. So Marcia and Ronald relocated their young family to the St. Louis area in 1970 to give Leigh-Anne the opportunity to attend St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf. In 1977, when Leigh-Anne was ready to attend traditional schools, the family returned to the Indianapolis area (Carmel) to be closer to extended family.

While caring for her family, Marcia kept active as a volunteer serving the hearing-impaired community. In St. Louis, she served as president of both the Mother’s Club and the International Parents’ Organization at St. Joseph and volunteered as an audiologist there. Upon returning to Indiana, she served on the Board of Directors and as Auxiliary President for the Indianapolis Speech and Hearing Center. And she served on the Board of Directors and as President for Hear Indiana.

In support of her husband’s medical community, Marcia volunteered for a decade with the Indiana State Medical Association Alliance, including serving as President of the Indianapolis Medical Alliance from 1994-95. There, among many projects, she developed a program to educate physicians and medical staff about the signs of domestic violence to better assist patients in need.

Marcia also enjoyed participating in the local theater community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Indianapolis Civic Theater for four years, including as board President in 1990. At Civic, she created special panel discussions for student performances of “The Miracle Worker,” tying in her expertise in the hearing impaired community. She was also an active member of both the Lambs Club and Players Club, social clubs that performed musical reviews and community theater, respectively. Marcia also enjoyed her membership in the Fortnightly Literary Club of Indianapolis, where she served as President in 2013-14, and she was a member of the Indianapolis Propylaeum.

Marcia and her husband were longtime members of Meridian Hills Country Club. And she enjoyed traveling with friends for fun and educational tours. She relished making friends in every community she lived in and at every organization she joined and served.

Marcia is survived by her daughter Leigh-Anne Rice-Weddle (Scott), son Gregory M. Rice (Sue), and three grandchildren: Alexandra and Parker Rice, and Charlotte Weddle. Her grandkids called her “Grammy” and loved her hugs and stories. She also loved her many nieces and nephews and their families.

Services will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 6050 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Visitation with the family and light refreshments will be at 10:00 a.m. until the start of the service at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Washington Park North Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Joseph Hearing + Speech-Indianapolis, at 9192 Waldemar Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268, for the Ronald B. Rice Family Fund, the purpose of which is to assist in support services of young hearing-impaired children who are attending regular classes in their local public or private schools.

And as Marcia was taught by her father and extremely fond of saying at every farewell: Don’t take any wooden nickels!