Hey, alright, sir open the gate and let him in! Dad/Bopa/Shine has finally entered the gates to join so many of his life-long friends and family, we can all only imagine how all that is going!

Shine Rice passed peacefully, surrounded by his motley crew on Saturday, May 18, 2026.

Charles Lawrence Rice by birthname, was born in Asheville, NC on March 22, 1935 to Charles and Minnie Rice. In 1936, the family moved to Wyoming and shortly after to Ronan, MT. In 1938, they found their forever home in the Jocko Valley. Shine attended school in Arlee and graduated in 1953. When us kids were young, dad told us his name “Shine” came from his dad who often called him “Sunshine.” As the years passed, dad told us that his dad (CC Rice) “ran a little moonshine back in the day” and it was later revealed that could be how he got his name. He, of course, defended it by explaining how times were tough raising a family during the depression!

Shine had five children. Les (Lou) Rice, Kent (Bernadette) Rice with his first wife, Tina Allard Rice. He then had Clint (Stacy) Rice, Rhonda Kinney, and Joe (Tami) Rice with Sheila Christensen Rice. He had 12 beautiful grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his siblings: Phyllis Rice, Mozelle (Wilbur)Morin, Cecil Rice, and Ed (Lorraine Rice) and his parents CC and Minnie Rice and his eldest son, Les. He is also preceded in death by his best friend, Pat Espinoza. There are many more, but most of us know the Shine and Pat story, that’s one that just can’t be re-told.

Shine attended post-secondary school at DeVry Institute in Chicago where he studied something related to fixing electrical stuff. He returned home and peddled propane for a while, sold Buicks for a bit, and then landed a spot with Missoula Cartage, where he drove chip truck for 44 years, accident free (something he was very proud of). He also sold a few tractors for Triple W Tractor for a short time.

Shine lived his life wide open. He was simple, he was honest and his favorite past time was having a beer with his friends. Shine’s friends were too many to mention and as he entered his very later years, he enjoyed going to town on Friday afternoon to have a Miller Lite and a shot of “Jack” and visit with his friends at the Pig! This gathering became known as “Shine Night.” Dad was known to tell a good joke and sing a few old cowboy songs. Famous for his yodeling, auctioneering, and his animated retelling of “Rojo”, all good entertainment while enjoying a cold one. He loved his social time with all of you, immensely!

Dad loved farming and John Deere tractors! All of us kids had our turn riding on the fender or on top of the tractor (so long as it didn’t get too hot)! He did a lot of contract farming at the foot of Evaro Hill where all those fancy houses are, currently. After he retired from Missoula Cartage, he bought a couple wreckers. Dad hauled a lot of things for a lot of people, pulled a lot of people out of the ditch and was always there to solve a problem for whoever was in need. His last wrecker rescue was when he was 89 years old! Shine definitely had purpose and filled it so well. He loved helping people when they needed a little help and never judged the “why”!

Roughly ten years ago, a little friend came to visit Shine while sitting in his recliner, his name is Murphy! Dad and Murphy became best of friends and remained that way until the very end, they were inseparable! Murphy is doing well, but there is no doubt that “Murph” misses his best friend!

A Celebration of Life will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at the tribal community center on Pow Wow Road in Arlee. He requested that his ashes be spread on “the place” which will be done later, as he will be spread with Murphy!

I’ll bet all my money, the man ain’t alive, that’ll forget old “Shiner” when he makes his high dive!