Naomi R. Rice

Naomi Ruth (Thomas) Rice, age 92, resident of Hendersonville, passed away Tuesday, March 24th, 2026. Visitation will be Friday March 27th between 11 am and 1 pm, with the funeral service immediately following taking place at Hendersonville Memory Garden funeral home. Leslie Chapman will be officiating with friends and family participating as pallbearers.

Naomi was born August 30th, 1933, in Pleasant Shade, Tennessee. She is preceded in death by Bob Thomas (father), Esther Thomas (mother), Thomas Milton Rice (son), Buford Thomas (brother), Rosa Sloan (sister), Oza Allen (sister), Patricia Thaxton (sister), and Robert Thomas (brother). She is survived by Oscar Dale Rice (husband), Oscar Dale Rice, Jr. (son), Tina Rice Wilson (daughter / wife to Jason Wilson), Corrine Mae McArthur (granddaughter / wife to Tyler McArthur), and Ada Rose Wilson (granddaughter), along with several loving nieces and nephews.

Naomi had many remarkable traits, but one of the most notable was her ability to remember birthdays. She never faltered when it came to making someone feel special, seen, and cherished. She had a remarkable ability to set a new example for those around her every day. She touched the lives of so many and made sure to never let you leave on an empty stomach.

To know her was to love her. To be loved by her meant you knew, always, that someone loved you a bushel, a peck, and a hug around the neck. Her invaluable wisdom, gentle nature, and her contagious laughter made her who she was, the amazing woman we all know and love. May she rest in peace.