WILMINGTON — John Steadman Rice Ph.D., died on Friday July 24, 2026. He was with his beloved bride of almost 38 years, Marla Rice-Evans, in his final moments. He leaves behind a daughter, Jesse, 37, who followed in John’s footsteps in public education working at the City University of New York.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Mallory Rice.
John was born on September 15, 1953 in Denver CO. Alongside his brothers, John attended Creighton Prep where he graduated in 1971. John went on to support himself through college at University of Nebraska in Omaha, taking 12 years to earn his bachelor’s degree. Originally a poetry major, John fell in love with sociology before earning his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in 1992. He held faculty positions at several public universities before settling into UNCW’s Sociology and Criminology Department, where he would teach for the rest of his career, winning teaching awards before his retirement in 2020.
While at UNCW, John co-founded The Hillcrest Reading Program with his colleague and friend Marty Kozloff, Ph.D. They trained dozens of tutors in direct instruction to support Black and low-income kids learning to read in Wilmington. John was immensely proud of this work.
John had a varied and fascinating life history. He loved film, sports, literature, rock music, and his former band, Big Thumbs. He was an excellent performing guitarist, a furniture salesman, magazine distributor, among other jobs. Perhaps most interestingly, he worked for a traveling carnival for a year. His specialty was making and selling cotton candy and popcorn! He never tired of telling stories about that formative experience.
John was a scholar of the first order. He was never far from quoting his favorite sociologist Max Weber to analyze daily situations. John was published, and an outstanding lecturer, well-loved by hundreds if not thousands of students throughout his career, many of whom remained in close contact with him.
John leaves behind numerous friends and colleagues who will miss his wisdom, humor, and friendship. He loved cooking, reading, traveling, time with friends, and being home with Marla and their special dog, Liam. As John would say of others, he was truly a “good egg” – kind, caring, and a loyal friend.
A celebration of John’s life is planned for a date in the future.
