Obituary for Sue Ann Rice

Sue Ann Rice

September 17, 1934 – April 28, 2022

Sue Ann Rice passed away on April 28, 2022 at the Cornerstone Long Term Acute Care Facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma following a lengthy illness.

Sue Ann was born September 17, 1934 in Ponca City, OK to Alfred and Helen (Revard) Rice. She graduated from St. Mary’s High School and attended Stephens College in Columbia, MO for one year. She then graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1956.

In 1954, she joined the Naval Reserve. She completed the Navy’s Officer Candidate School for Women (OCSW) in Newport, RI and was commissioned as and Ensign in 1956. Her first assignment was to the Office of Naval Officer Procurement in Dallas, TX. Her next assignment was to the Naval Reserve and Training Division, administering all tests for advancement of enlisted Naval Reservist in thirteen states and managing training programs for officers and enlisted. After seeing the UNIVAC II computer at Great Lakes, she became interested in computers. Her next assignment was as Administrative Assistant to the Assistant Chief-of-Staff, Headquarters, Pacific Fleet, Honolulu, HI; she also was the office manager and Division Officer for the enlisted personnel. Sue Ann was the thirteenth officer assigned to Naval Air Station, Lemoore, CA. From there, she reported to Military Justice School in Newport, RI. After that course, she attended Instructor Training School. She then was an instructor as OCSW, then became the Academic Director. Prior to being assigned to teach computer courses at Naval Command Systems Support Activity in Washington D.C., she took computer courses.

After being a programmer and systems analyst for anti-submarine warfare computer programs, she became Head of the Training Division, which had approximately 2,000 students per year. She was transferred to the staff Commander, Anti-Submarine Warfare Forces, Atlantic, Norfolk, VA, and did operational analysis of Russian nuclear-powered submarines. Commander Rice helped design software for the World Wide Military Command and Control Systems (WWMCCS) and was Head of Operations Support Section at Headquarters, Atlantic Fleet. Her last assignment was to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (OJCS) at the Pentagon. She was WWMCCS Configuration and Control Officer, then appointed Principal, U.S. Representative to a NATO Working Group responsible for developing standards for information exchange within NATO. Although most meetings were at NATO Headquarters in Belgium, her office remained at the Pentagon because all policies though military services, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Defense Communication Agency had to be staffed by OJCS prior to obtaining approval from the Secretary of Defense. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for her work at OJCS and retired as a Commander on August 1, 1977.

After retiring from the Navy, she completed her Master’s degree and her Doctorate at Catholic University of America and taught there for a short time, prior to becoming Vocations Program Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Washington. She then became the Dean of Students at Notre Dame Institute. She served twenty-four years on the board of an international Catholic organization with headquarters in Rome, Italy. While in the Washington D. C. area, she was a member of the Human Factors Society and of the Washington Academy of Sciences.

After traveling the world for her entire professional life, she moved back to Ponca City in 2000 to care for her mother. Sue Ann had many fond memories of growing up in Ponca City and she recalled, “I’m glad I lived in Washington D.C. as long as I did, but I’m really enjoying being back home.”

Upon moving back home, she was a devout and active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She had many friends through the church and will be dearly missed by all.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Helen Rice in 2000 and Alfred in 1961, her aunt, Viola Revard Long in 2000, and uncle, Joe Revard in 1979.

Sue Ann is survived by her cousins, Don Long and Donna Long Walker of Ponca City, OK, Judy Long Feather of Fredericksburg, VA, Stan Long of Edmond, OK; her Godchild, Pippa Simmons Maysick DVM of Broken Arrow, OK; close family friends, Dr. William and Joyce Simmons of Tallahassee, FL, and her St. Mary’s friends.

Viewing
Monday, May 09, 2022 1:00PM – 5:00PM
Trout Funeral Home & Crematory
505 W. Grand Ave.
Ponca City, OK 74601

Mass Of Christian Burial
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 10:00AM – 11:00AM
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
707 E. Ponca St.
Ponca City, OK 74601

Graveside Service
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 11:30AM – 11:45AM

Source: Trout Funeral Home