Dianne Lynn Rice, 73, passed away on September 14, 2026, in Selah, Washington, with her daughter by

her side. She was born on December 15, 1952, in Santa Cruz, California, to Dana and Helen (Campbell)

Rogers, of Wapato, Washington. Dianne and her parents returned to Washington in 1967, and Dianne

graduated from Wapato High School in 1971.

After graduating, Dianne worked with her mom at the Del Monte canneries in Yakima and Toppenish,

packing harvests throughout the 1970s. Dianne married Laurence (Larry) Rice on July 9, 1977, her

husband of 49 years, in her parents’ backyard and found her purpose in raising their daughter, Allison,

and son, Jim. Caring for children was at the center of Dianne’s life, starting early when she helped care

for her nephew Jeff during his summers in Wapato, and continuing with babysitting for other family

members, neighbors, and friends, and volunteering at her children’s schools during her years as a stay-

at-home mother. Even in retirement, Dianne babysat her great niece, Serena. In 1991, she began her

career as a paraeducator with Harrah Elementary, where she worked until she retired in 2020. In her

almost 30 years at Harrah, she made life-long friendships with coworkers and loved helping all the

students she worked with and celebrated their cleverness and senses of humor.

Dianne always felt most comfortable putting others first, sometimes to a fault. She deeply loved her

parents, her family, and her friends. She was tender-hearted – easy to cry, even easier to laugh, and

always ready to give you a hug, despite being a shy person at the end of the day. Salt on a tomato fresh

from the vine (or on the rim of a margarita glass), chocolate, a Beatles song, and anything blue were

always sure to make her smile, especially if they were shared with someone she loved. Having grown up

on the cool Central Coast of California, she always felt happiest at the ocean, or in a rain shower and

gentle breeze, or on the family farm with a yard full of birds and flowers and her beloved Labs, Boston

Terriers, and cats.

Dianne is survived by her husband Larry; her children: Allison Rice and Michael Wandler, and Jim and

Brandie (Sargent) Rice; her brothers: Dennis Rogers and Dexter Rogers and Debbie (Sandifer) Creach; as

well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. She is preceded in passing by her parents, her brother

David Rogers, and nephews Jeff Rogers and Jacob Rogers. Dianne’s family also wishes to thank the staff

of Riverview Manor Assisted Living and MultiCare Yakima Memorial Home Health and Hospice for the

care and consideration they provided Dianne in this challenging chapter of her life.

A celebration of life will be hosted at Valley Hills Funeral Home in Terrace Heights, Washington, on

October 29 th , 2026, at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for memorial contributions to the

Alzheimer’s Association or to Riverview Manor’s patient fund.