www.protecthersheychildren.org

John P. Rice ‘75, my beloved friend and hero, who demonstrated such courage and principle in all things and who led others with such exemplary dignity, wisdom, and composure, passed away this morning at 2 A.M.

John had been battling cancer and was receiving chemo when his condition suddenly worsened. He was, to the end and as always, completely selfless about what he faced, concerned only with his family, and maintained a deprecating sense of humor --if he had any fears, he did not show them. As always, he put others first and did not want to worry them.

I am numb at this loss and beyond words. My heart just breaks to be the one to make this news known and I am still struggling to take it in.

Details about John’s memorial service will be posted as soon as they are available.

In the meantime, our hearts and prayers go out to John’s entire family as they face this painful loss, one shared by all of us.

May John's soul rest in peace with God, to whom we look now once again for any solace that can be found.

With deepest sadness,

Ric Fouad
HIS/MHS Class of 1980
April 21, 2009

This one hits like a ton of bricks. John was a good friend. It was my pleasure to serve as counsel to MHSAA during John's two years as President and one year as Past-President. I was most impressed by his keen intellect, organizational and leadership skills, his tireless and thankless efforts on behalf of needy children and the School and Association he loved, and his uncommon decency. He did important work and it mattered.

The John I came to know acted out of one guiding principle, do the right thing, no matter how unpopular or how much criticism may have come his way. He never acted out of impulse or anger, but always out of calm reflection of the proper path, for which he had great instincts. He treated people with respect, and in most cases it was reciprocated, even by those in disagreement. One of the lasting legacies he will have is a Commonwealth Court decision in MHSAA's favor, where Judge Pellegrini, speaking for a majority of the court said this:

"At bottom, the Association, whose membership consists exclusively of past beneficiaries of the Hershey Trust, is the only other party with a sufficient relationship to the Trust that would have any interest in assuring that its charitable purpose was achieved."

John knew MHSAA stood alone in this effort, and he put his heart and soul into the task. Thank you John for your courageous stands and support over the years. You will be missed by many.

John Schmehl
April 22, 2009