Douglas A. Rice

DOUG RICE led the way for true kindness to others. Doug, just like his Father, always took care of his friends and family and everyone he met. He truly was the “nicest guy on the planet.”

Doug Rice passed away on January 18, 2022, after a life that was full of humor, wit, and unconditional love for all the family and friends who surrounded him. You knew when Doug was close by because you recognized his laugh. The “Dugger” laugh filled the room—the laugh that everyone absolutely fell in love with.

Doug was born in Brownsburg, Indiana, on March 15, 1954. Shortly after that in 1955 his parents, Violet Marjorie "Dottie" McCleary and Marion A. "Dick" Rice aka Bird, and his (pain-in the-butt) brother Dickie moved to Eagledale. They moved across the street from Clarence L. Farrington School #61 in the suburbs on the westside of Indianapolis. His love for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway started there. Doug had the best of both worlds. The Rice family not only lived across from the school, but they lived within spitting distance to the 30th Street Gate 10 outside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They could hear the roar of the race cars every May.

Doug attended Indianapolis Public Schools #61, #96, and #108 Jr. High. In 1963, the Rice family packed up the chihuahuas and made a quick move to 32nd Street adjacent from Northwest High School. In 1969, Doug became a fighting (Space) Pioneer and managed to bring his love of baseball statistics to the class room.

A classmate wrote in Doug’s Sophomore 1970 Vanguard yearbook:
“Douglas, You have got to be really weird to spend all your time looking up statistics like ‘who had 4 no-hitters in 1913 on the Pittsburgh base stealers’ on that dumb test. Oh well. Do your own thing.” - signed Kevin Ball “Wally,” 72’

Doug did manage to do his own thing and graduated from Northwest High School (Class of 1972), where he was an honor student, played sports, and worked on the yearbook staff. After graduation, Doug worked his way through college at Mayflower Transit Company. He attended Indiana University School of Business at IUPUI campus and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Business degree in 1982.

Doug worked for Mayflower from 1973 - 1997 when the company closed its doors and moved to St. Louis, Missouri. After that, Doug worked at AMICO as a cash disbursement process manager for 23 years and then retired after the company moved to Denver in 2020. Doug deeply loved all his co-workers at AMICO. He once said that sitting down with his co-workers and talking to them was what he thought made a good manager. He loved his job and when ask about retirement he always said, “I’m not ready. I love my job and my AMICO family."

Doug also loved coaching kids. In the winter months, Doug coached youth basketball and refereed at the Municipal Gardens on Lafayette Road for over 30 years. When spring came, Doug coached Little League baseball for over 30 years. Coaching kids was his passion. Doug coached at the Bel-Air Little League until it closed. He then moved on to the Fall Creek Little League where he coached and sat on their Board of Directors. Doug impacted the life of thousands of kids. He loved basketball, baseball, and kids. It was a perfect combination of his lifetime achievements.

Doug and his brother Dick were also lifetime Dodger fans. They both carried on the tradition instilled in them at birth by their father of being a Brooklyn Dodger fan and then when the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1957, they became LA Dodger fans. Doug traveled to many ballparks across the United States to watch America’s favorite past time during most of his vacation breaks. That was Doug’s, "happy place”.

Doug also organized a bus trip to a baseball park to watch a game every fall from 1999-2017 called “Pat and Doug’s Excellent Adventures.” The bus was always full of fun and laughter, and everyone left with one of his special t-shirts where he featured a baseball quote that was near and dear to his heart. In 2013 the t-shirt featured the quote:

“You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.” - Jim Bouton, baseball player

Doug also had a special place in his heart for animals. He always carried dog treats in his pockets just like his father did. When he encountered a dog, they immediately gravitated to him to get a treat and the best doggie massage in the entire world.

Doug’s love for kids, dogs, and baseball was only equaled to his love for racing and the Indy 500. Doug was a flag waving member of the “Dogs of Mussman,” a group of friends who from 1968 to 1985 gathered outside the gates of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on 30th Street. Their objective: to race into the infield, jockeying for the Holy Grail of parking spaces at the Indy 500—a spot against the fence in the third turn. His love for the track during the month of May was only equaled by his love for his brother Dick. Their bond was like no other. When you saw them together, you knew it was special. Every moment was filled with love and laughter. The Rice brothers were the true epitome of an Indy 500 fan.

After the death of Doug’s brother Dick in 2017, sports talk radio personality Jake Query wrote on May 24, 2018: “The story begins as so many have, of two brothers from Indianapolis’ west side whose bond formed closest, not through Little League or station wagon trips or carpooling to school, but with a pursuit. A pursuit to get into the Indy 500.

Doug Rice first watched his older brother leave for 16th and Georgetown in 1966. Five years the junior of his brother Dick, Doug made the voyage accompanied by his parents a year later. By 1974, the Rice brothers finally combined their experiences into a joint effort. Two brothers raised in the shadows of the world’s greatest race course, but on the day the world converged in their own backyard, the track was seemingly its own world away. The innovations of entry began.

This is the story of the Rice brothers because in its own way, their story is ours. Our story is theirs. It’s the magic that lures us through the winter months, longing for the day when we say yes, in fact, it is May.

They saved their money each year to buy a car to take them through the six lanes intersecting the North 40 parking area of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, free of concern if the journey under the tunnel into the track would come at the price of an unblemished paint job or victimized mirror. A spot in the Turn 3 infield was the destination, and the Rice brothers had one motto: Infield or bust."


Doug is preceded in death by his father and mother, Dick and Dottie Rice; and his brother, Richard "Dick" Rice. Doug is survived by his sister-in-law, Vicki Leonard Rice; his Terre Haute and Indianapolis cousins; and many, many friends.

Per Doug’s request, there will be no funeral services, but we will be “Celebrating the Life of Doug Rice" on Sunday, Mother’s Day, May 8th 2022.

Doug’s life celebration starts at 11:30 am at the Brickyard Crossing next to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4400 W. 16th  Indianapolis, IN 42222.

11:30 pm | Visitation

2:00 pm | Program commemorating the life of Doug Rice

3:30 pm | Brickyard celebration concludes at the Brickyard Crossing

Doug’s celebration will continue at Murphy’s Steakhouse aka Pat Flynn’s, 5198 Allisonville Road, Indpls. IN 46250.

4:30 - 8 pm | Gathering of friends and family with more Doug Stories and music

You can also contact Vicki Rice at vicki@artworksdesignstudio.com for more information or call 317-293-1132.

DOUG RICE walked a path of kindness his entire life. To honor Doug, please carry on his legacy by paying it forward with kindness and laughter to others.

“Doug was the kindest person I ever met. I don’t have the words to write anything right now, maybe later, but regardless of what I put together, it would never do justice to what his friendship meant to me.... So if you see me calling one less person an a**hole or a d**khead, know it’s because of his giant kind heart, not my tiny cold one..... The world just got a whole lot less kind..... Be Nice....” - Joe Steiner

“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” - Jackie Chan, actor

“A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows, and bubbles all around.” - Carolyn Birmingham, author and teacher

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” - Robin Williams

Memorial donations may be made by sending a check to the following organizations in memory of Douglas A. Rice.

Eagledale Little League:
Donations can be made through PayPal @EagledaleLL
or make checks payable to: Eagledale Little League, P.O. Box 53588 Indianapolis, IN 46253

Brownsburg Little League Baseball:
Make checks payable to: Brownsburg Little League Baseball, P.O. Box 203 Indianapolis, IN 46112

Sacred Sycamore Animal Rescue:
Donations can be made through website: www.SacredSycamoreAnimalRescue.org
or make checks payable to: Sacred Sycamore Animal Rescue, 6722 Zionsville Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46268