Man who helped create CSX dies
A railroad industry veteran who helped create what is now Jacksonville-based railroad CSX Corp. died Sunday in Richmond, Va., at the age of 93 after a short illness.
William Thomas Rice began his railroad career as a track supervisor in 1934, working his way up to become president and director of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Co., whose parent company merged with the Chessie System to form CSX Corp. in 1980. Mr. Rice served on the company's original board of directors.
During World War II, Mr. Rice directed overseas operations of the Military Railway Service in both European and Pacific theaters. Later, he rose to the rank of major general in the Army Reserve. He was the recipient of the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters and in 1999 was inducted into the Army Transportation Corps Hall of Fame.
In 1987, CSX's terminal in Waycross, Ga., was named Rice Yard in his honor.
Mr. Rice was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Jaqueline, and a son, John Thomas Rice. He is survived by a daughter, Jaqueline Rice Heard; his daughter-in-law, Grace Arendall Rice; seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Va. Interment will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Yeocomico Church in Westmoreland County, Va. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets W. Thomas Rice Scholarship Fund or Westminster Canterbury Fellowship Fund in Richmond, Va.
