Bradley Herbert Rice, 72, St. Cloud

October 9, 1949 - March 17, 2022

Bradley Herbert Rice, age 72, of St. Cloud, peacefully passed away Thursday, March 17, 2022 at CentraCare Hospital in St. Cloud.

A public visitation will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 22, and the funeral will follow at 11:00 AM at Williams Dingmann Funeral Home in St. Cloud. A private entombment will take place in the Allouez Chapel Mausoleum in Green Bay, WI, at a later date. The services on Tuesday will be live streamed and the link can be found at williamsdingmann.com

Brad was born on October 9, 1949 in Fergus Falls, MN, to Herbert and Harriet (Nelson) Rice. He spent most of his childhood in Morris, MN. Brad was confirmed at Peace Lutheran Church in 1964 and graduated from Morris High School in 1967. He attended Alexandria Area Technical School in 1968 and became a junior accountant. On June 12, 1987, he married Lori Mae Strebel in Green Bay, WI.

At a young age he took on many jobs that would later prepare him for life and his strong work ethic. He began a career in hotel services and over the years opened over 58 limited service motels and worked for 5 different owners. He would work with his staff sharing his experiences and his motto: “Work hard and you will reap the rewards.” His last position was as VP with the Rivett Group, LLC, in Aberdeen, SD, overseeing Super 8 Motels, Holiday Inn Express Hotels and My Place Hotels retiring in 2014. In 2015, he and Lori moved to St. Cloud where they currently reside.

Brad’s stature and voice could be intimidating, but he was a gentle bear with a big heart for helping people. Brad enjoyed family get-togethers as well as his neighbors, the Popp family. Brad enjoyed fishing in Canada and in Alaska. In 1995, Brad trained for and became a private pilot. He also received a high performance engine certification and flew a Cessna 152, 172, 172RG and a 182. He enjoyed his time as a pilot.

He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, father and mother-in-law Fred and Rita Strebel, brother-in-law, David Gibson and beloved dogs Snikkers and Coco. He is survived by his wife Lori (Lollie), brother Terry (Donna), sisters Dawn (Lloyd) Larson and Debra (Kim) Borck, and his nieces and nephews, Amanda (Matt) Larson (Brad’s godchild), Jessica (Travis) Wiens, Carrie Larson, Adam Larson, Ahna Borck, Lydia Borck, Elise (Gwydion) Petzold, Daniel and Mari Borck, Nicole (Paul) Marinin, Kory Strebel, Kara (Roy Waterman) Gibson, Alicia Pamperin and fiancé Bryon Previte and Chris Pamperin; sister-in-laws Mary Lee Gibson and Susan (Steven) Pamperin and brother-in-law Wayne (Lynn) Strebel; great nephews Parker, Owen and Zach Larson and Carter Wiens, as well as other relatives and friends.

The family would like to thank Dr. Ojo and the doctor and nurses in ICU for their wonderful and compassionate care.