Charles Jefferson Rice, Jr.Charles Jefferson Rice, Jr. commonly known by his family and friends as 'Charlie' was born March 8, 1925 and ushered into the loving presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on October 18, 2007.Charlie seemed to have lived several lives in his full lifetime. Always, learning, always dreaming and always seeing the possibilities was part of his optimistic and adventurous personality.He courageously served his country as a Sergeant in the Army Air Corps during World War II at the young age of 18. He flew 31 active bombing missions over enemy territory and received the Medal of Honor and 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses among other commendations. After returning home to Racine he worked with his father, Charles Rice, in the family grocery store where he learned all aspects of the business. He was an exceptional meat cutter and manager. He owned and operated Sam's Meat Market and the Garden Spot (Kroger's). Delivery trucks operated under 'Charlie on the Square' and offered delivery groceries and meats to much of Racine. Charlie also worked part time for the Corner House, a fine dining establishment, were he prepared exceptional steaks enjoyed by many. He married Helen Ann Larsen and had two children Pamela and Jeffrey. They divorced after over 20 years of marriage.Finally, there came a time when Charlie had to follow his own dream. He had a passion for skiing and set out to change his life and become a ski instructor. After receiving his certification he constructed and operated Paradise Valley Ski Area in East Troy and offered package lessons for the Johnson Wax Ski Club. In 1972 Charlie began working with the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva in the development of their ski area and school. When Americana bought out the Playboy Club and turned it into the Grand Geneva Resort they knew what an asset they had in Charlie. For the next 35 years Charlie was the head of the ski school and trained thousands of instructors and students. The resort honored Charlie by naming the ski school after him last year. The Charlie Rice Ski and Ride Academy was the culmination of Charlie's years of love, devotion and passion for the sport of skiing. He inspired many to experience the joys of skiing and was awarded the Instructor of the Year and Professional of the Year awards several times.He was a much respected certified member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America and was honored with the first PSIA central division Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Charlie Rice and skiing have become synonymous throughout the Mid-West. His wisdom and example are cherished by his fellow ski instructors and students.Charlie also loved restoring and sailing unique wooden boats. He spent his summers at the Marina working on his pride and joy, Arcturus, a 35 foot 1938 wooden sailboat which will someday, when her sailing days are over, be placed in Sparkman & Stevens Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, RI.Everything that Charlie did was done with attention to detail and a sense of style and class. If he couldn't do it well, then it wasn't worth doing. This attitude earned him great respect by many who shared his wisdom as well as his skills. He loved people and was always ready to help in time of need. He shared his ideas, thoughts, abilities, and resources with anyone who was blessed enough to know him.He was a visionary and builder. He built his first home for his family in Crestview in 1948. He remodeled an historic home they moved into on Newman Road. He built a home for his son, Jeffrey Rice, in the Wilds of Alaska. He landscaped and remodeled actress Britt Ekland's home in Beverly Hills, CA as well as his current home with Joan Radke, his beloved companion of over 30 years.Charlie was a multi-faceted, talented artist that saw beyond the ordinary and was an exceptional human being. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.Charlie is survived by his companion, Joan Radke, along with his children, Pamela Rice (a former Miss Racine) of Los Angeles, CA and Jeffrey (Brenda) Rice of Talkeetna, AK. He is adored by his two grandchildren, Cody (Lauren) Rice and Kyra Rice from AK. His sisters, Catherine (Harold) Wodicka and Delores (Jack) Hilt and younger brother Bill Rice are the remaining sibling of the nine siblings in his family. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, and countless friends. Charlie was preceded in death by 3 sisters and 2 brothers; Claire Blauvelt, Doris Gecias, Zada Meyer, Wilfred Rice and Willard Rice.A committal service and military honors will be held on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. at the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial cemetery in Union Grove. The service will be held in the administration chapel, 21731 Spring Street. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at the Grand Geneva Resort Hotel's Mountain Top Ski Chalet in Lake Geneva at highways 50 & 12.In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Charlie Rice Educational Scholarship Fund to help further the education of gifted individuals with a passion for skiing.