Tyrone Rice

Obituary For Tyrone Rice

Tyrone Rice, son of Dorothy Ann Rice, was born on January 4th, 1959, at Harlem Hospital in New York City. For the first ten years of his life, he was raised by his great-grandmother, Katie Hardwick, in the state of Alabama. It was she who introduced Tyrone to the wonders of southern homestyle cooking.

At the age of ten, after the passing of his great-grandmother Katie, Tyrone was sent back to Harlem to live with his grandmother, Martha Ann Rice. Tyrone endured great happiness growing up in Harlem, with cherished memories of family and friendships. One of his greatest delights as a teenager was playing the bongo instrument for the practice sessions with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Along with his grandmother Martha and uncle Butch, Tyrone continued to learn and develop his passion for cooking.

Tyrone attended and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School, where he developed a skill for photography. For a span of 20+ years, he held Production Manager positions for Film Strip & Slides and The Slide House. In June of 2001, Tyrone purchased and became the proud owner of The Slide House Plus, a continuation of Slide development and presentations for numerous high-profile corporations. On September 24, 1994, Tyrone united in marriage to Sheila R. Black and was blessed with two beautiful children, Tyler Tyrone Rice and Tyra Dorothy-Ann Rice, whom he loved and cherished dearly.

Tyrone loved to travel, and Las Vegas was his favorite destination to visit. He showered his family and friends with his passion for southern homestyle cooking and his enormous sense of humor. Some of our favorite dishes were his southern-style baked macaroni and cheese, baked barbecue ribs, dirty rice, and banana pudding. These dishes were often requested by many clients who heard of his talent for southern homestyle cooking.

Tyrone and his birth mother, Dorothy, reunited in 2014, and he cared for her until her demise in 2016. As fate would have it, Tyrone cared for my mother, Virginia Black, and was by her side until her passing in 2019. My siblings, other family members, and friends are forever grateful for the times we had with Tyrone, and his memory will live on through us. Tyrone departed this life on February 9th, 2024, at the New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. Till the end, he maintained his sense of humor and laughter. He is survived by his wife Sheila, children Tyler and Tyra, and countless cousins.

His wife and children would like to thank family, friends, nurses, and doctors who cared for him, and a special thank you to Michael Martin and Helaine Colosimo for their never-ending dedication and friendship to Tyrone.