Our beloved Bernadette (Kitchen) Rice was born on December 21, 1959, to Odies and the late Grace Kitchen in Eudora, Arkansas. She is a high school graduate of Wilmot High School and continued her education at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. She also attended the University of Arkansas in Little Rock pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice.
Bernadette was a giver with a generous spirit and a welcoming, loving personality that she shared unconditionally. She was a loyal advocate of her family, and her small stature was deceiving of just how huge her heart was and how big her efforts to support those she held dear really were. Her legacy of love and kindness will be felt for generations to come.
Bernadette began eternal life on Saturday, November 25, 2023, at 11:10 a.m., and was preceded by her mother, Grace Kitchen; her sister, Helen Marie; and her sister-in-love, Gloria.
Her legacy and beautiful memories are left to be cherished by her children, Justin, Adam, William, and Alicia; her grandchildren, Jeremiah and Aiyana; her father, Odies; her siblings, Theodis, JoeAnn (and Tommy), Carolyn (and Peter), Don (and Dorothy), and Diann (and Myron); her companion, Billy Rohm; and a host of beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
The family will hold a memorial service in her honor on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. at Smith Family Funeral Homes, 8801 Knoedl Court in Little Rock.