Biography: Peyton English Rice passed away peacefully, Tuesday June 2nd at his home in Little Rock. He was born September 7th, 1918. The English and Rice families storied past were the foundation upon which Peyton built his life. His grandfather, Peyton English, was Chief Clerk of the Arkansas Supreme Court and saved Arkansas’ Supreme Court records from capture by General Steele during the capture of Little Rock during the Civil War. He used a wagon to move the records to the temporary capitol of Old Washington, and delivered them to Peyton’s great-grandfather, Arkansas Chief Justice Elbert English. Soon after, Peyton English enlisted in the Confederate Army and served his remaining years in Vicksburg during the siege of that city. He survived and attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where Mr. English received his law degree while Robert E. Lee was president of the University. Peyton’s other grandfather, Patrick Rice, worked for the Iron Mountain Railroad and his grandmother’s heritage was rooted in Lake Village. She was a descendant of Captain John Vance and Lt. John Vance, Jr. of North Carolina, both of whom fought in the American Revolutionary War. The generations that proceeded included Peyton’s father, James H. Rice Senior, who served as Little Rock’s City Engineer and was also Superintendent of Public Works. Peyton attended Little Rock Junior College (UALR) and graduated from Washington and Lee University where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He later attended Harvard Business School. During WWII, he served in the Pacific theater in the Solomon Islands campaign and in the Battle of Bougainville. He also served in the Panama Canal Zone. Peyton spent twenty-five years in the Naval Reserve, serving as president of the Reserve Officers Assn. He retired as a Navy Captain and was entitled to wear three Pacific Campaign Battle Stars. Following the war he returned to Little Rock and opened the Rice Employment Agencies along with Kelly Girl Services of Little Rock and North Little Rock. He served as President of the Arkansas Private Employment Assn. He was semi-retired and managed real estate and investments. Peyton received the UALR Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988 and served on the Ottenheimer Library Board and on the Fine Arts Board for the University. He also raised funds to create the Scholars Program and for equipment for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Building. He served as a counselor to the Alumni Board and as president of the UALR Alumni Association. Peyton chaired the Little Rock Civil Service Commission for six years and served on the Little Rock Planning Commission and Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee. He was also a volunteer fundraiser who helped acquire land for the Little Rock Air Force Base. Rice was a Vestryman at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and helped start The Cathedral School in 1956, serving as Treasurer. He was a board member of the Arkansas Diabetes Association, the Pulaski County Heart Assn., a member of the Country Club of Little Rock and a 50 year member of Belcher Lake Hunting club. He was a folk art collector of duck decoys, duck calls and waterfowl prints. He loved to hunt and fish and introduced so many others to those passions during his life. Peyton was preceded in death by his first wife, Catherine Rightsell Rice, brothers Patrick Joseph Rice, James H. Rice and sister Marguerite Rice Riddick. Survivors include wife Betty Brewer Rice of the home, son Dr. Peyton Rice of North Little Rock, daughter Susan Schmidt and husband Dr. Clinton Schmidt of Fayetteville, Ar. Grandchildren Nathan, Peyton, Clayton and Catherine Ann Schmidt of Fayetteville, Ar; granddaughter Meghan Rice of Vail, Colorado; Stepsons Grimsley Graham Jr. and wife Carol of Rogers, Ar; Larry Graham and wife Susan, Lou Graham and wife Leigh, all of Little Rock; sister in law Katie Rice, and many nieces and nephews and cousins including Austin McCaskill and Mary Jane Mehaffey. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Rice Conservation Fund at the Butler Center Main Library of Little Rock or to a favorite charity. A memorial service will be held Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 11:30 at Christ Episcopal Church in Little Rock. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.