Andrew "Andy" Christopher Rice

MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA - FIREMAN ANDREW "ANDY" CHRISTOPHER RICE, 19, OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD STATIONED IN MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, FORMERLY OF ASHEVILLE, DIED TUESDAY MARCH 13, 2001 FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. HE WAS A LIFE LONG RESIDENT OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY AND WAS A MEMBER OF BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH. HE WAS A 1999 GRADUATE OF CLYDE A. ERWIN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE JR. R.O.T.C., ACTIVE WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM, ERWIN YOUTH LEAGUE AND WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES AND THE WESTSIDE CRUISERS CAR CLUB. ANDY ENTERED THE COAST GUARD ON AUGUST 1, 1999 AND AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH WAS SERVING ON THE COAST GUARD CUTTER VALIANT, STATIONED IN MIAMI BEACH, FL. SURVIVING ARE HIS FATHER, GARY ALBERT RICE OF ASHEVILLE; MOTHER AND STEP FATHER, VIVIAN DUCKETT TESNER AND GERALD TESNER OF ASHEVILLE; SISTER, KELLEY RICE OF ASHEVILLE;PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER, BESSIE RICE OF ASHEVILLE; HALF BROTHER, STEVEN RICE OF ASHEVILLE; STEP SISTER, LISA TESNER WIEGMAN OF ASHEVILLE; NEPHEW, JACOB WIEGMAN; 15 SPECIAL FIRST COUSINS, SEVERAL AUNTS AND UNCLES. FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD AT 2 PM SUNDAY IN THE ANDERS-RICE FUNERAL HOME CHAPEL WITH THE REVS HAROLD SAVELL AND JACK ROBERTS, AND COMMANDER DANA WARE OFFICIATING. ACTIVE PALLBEARERS WILL BE HIS FELLOW SHIPMATES FROM THE VALIANT COAST GUARD CUTTER. HONORARY PALLBEARERS WILL BE ALL OF ANDYS MANY SPECIAL FRIENDS. BURIAL WILL BE IN ASHELAWN GARDENS OF MEMORY WITH FULL MILITARY GRAVESIDE RITES. THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS FROM 7 UNTIL 9 PM SATURDAY AT THE FUNERAL HOME. TO REGISTER ON-LINE, PLEASE GO TO THE FUNERAL SCHEDULE AT www.andersrice.com.