W. Manion Rice

Carbondale - W. Manion Rice, 91, passed away at 3:17 a.m. on Friday, November 1, 2013 at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. Manion was born August 29, 1922 in Eldorado to William Edward and Anna Josephine (Manion) Rice. They precede him in death. He married B. Christine Rogers on December 31, 1949 in Milan, TN. She lives in Carbondale. Other survivors include two sons, Matthew Rice of Springfield and Craig (Karen) Rice of Mundelein; daughter, Carol (Keith) Andrews of Tuscaloosa, AL; four grandchildren, Brian Manion Rice, Eric Benjamin Rice, Michelle Christine Rice and Manion Benton "Ben" Andrews. Manion was devoted to journalism, obtaining his undergraduate and Master's degrees in that field at the University of Missouri at Columbia, and Ph.D. at SIU Carbondale. Besides editing community newspapers for 10 years, he began teaching journalism at SIU in 1959, retiring in 1988 after serving as Acting Director of the School of Journalism. He was equally devoted to teaching and service work, receiving the Darwin Jenkins Award for service to journalism in Southern Illinois and being elected to the Sphinx Club, an organization that recognizes services to the SIU students. He served as faculty advisor for the Obelisk, SIU's annual yearbook, and as SIU Journalism Service Center Director for 21 years. He served as Executive Secretary of the Mid-America Press Institute, head of the Southern Illinois School Press Association, Coordinator of the National Penal Press Contest, and national leadership posts in Phi Delta Epsilon, a journalism service fraternity. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Carbondale for 40 years. He enjoyed Cardinal baseball and collegiate football, and tennis with friends. He served in World War II from 1944 - 1946 as a Lieutenant in the US Army Corps on Tinian Island, from which the "Enola Gay" flew its mission. He wrote the unit history of the 6th Bomb Group, The Pirate's Log, and published that history in the Philippines upon its liberation. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 4, 2013 at Meredith Funeral Home, Carbondale, with Rev. Alan Rhein officiating, with burial at Oakland Cemetery. Visitation will be start at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Memorial donations are the preferred form of remembrance, and may be made to the First United Methodist Church or the donor's choice and will be accepted at the funeral home.



Service:



11:00 a.m. Monday, November 4, 2013



Meredith Funeral Home Carbondale, Illinois







Visitation:



10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 4, 2013



Meredith Funeral Home Carbondale, Illinois