Wilbur Lee Rice, 89, of Crawfordsville, IN, passed away peacefully on December 9 ^th , 2019.  Wilbur was born to Marvin and Vera (Gose) Rice on October 21 ^st , 1930, in Grange Corner, IN.  He married Janet Myers on March 5 ^th , 1954, and they shared nearly 66 wonderful years together.  He is survived by his wife and their four children: Marla (James) Mack of Indianapolis, and Gary (Terri) Rice, Lisa (Terry) Powell, and Gregory (Linda) Rice of Crawfordsville; eight grandchildren: Serah, Lindsay, Julie, Andrew, Stacey, Steven, Cory, and Madison; and eleven great-grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his parents; three siblings: Lena, Morris, and Frieda; and one grandson, Joshua.

Wilbur was an Army veteran of the Korean War and upon returning home, began his long love of restoring and building properties with Russell Dawson Construction.  After 20 odd years, he ventured out on his own, continued remodeling, and began property owning and management. He also worked for Crawfordsville's HUD department for many years as a home inspector.  He remained with them even after "retirement" until the age of 87.

Outside of work, Wilbur enjoyed traveling, camping, spending time with his family on their pontoon boat, gardening, riding in his truck with his dog, and morning coffee at The Forum with his buddies.  He was funny, kind smart, innovative, and loved his family fiercely.  He could fix anything and was the hardest worker you would ever meet.

Although his loved ones are heartbroken, they are honored to have called him husband, "Dad", and "Papaw" for so many years and are thankful for the promise of seeing him again someday.  He will be missed dearly.

Visitation will be 1-3 pm with service to follow at Hunt & Son Funeral Home on Saturday, December 21 ^st .  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association.