Patricia Bancroft Rice

SCARBOROUGH – Patricia Bancroft Rice died on August 20, 2021. She was born in Natchez, Miss. on June 26, 1929 to Anna Lange Hale and Walter Hale. Some years later, her mother married Winthrop Bancroft who became Pat’s stepfather.

She grew up in Albany, Ga. and Jacksonville, Fla. and was educated at Bartram and St Anne’s schools. She attended Wellesley and Webber colleges and earned a degree in retail.

While living in Boston Pat visited Maine and met her husband Harry F. Rice Jr., a Mainer living in Boston at the time. Although they settled in the Boston area, after raising their four children they spent their summers in Maine on Little Cranberry Island. Pat ultimately became a resident of Maine in 2002, settling in Scarborough and becoming part of the Piper Shores community.

A dedicated recycler from the 1970’s onward, Pat admired the environmental awareness of the Portland community, as well as the vibrant arts scene. She enthusiastically attended the Portland Symphony Orchestra and Portland Museum of Art. She was involved with the Scarborough Land Trust, and a fan of Broadturn farm.

Her greatest love was traveling, particularly to England, and she worked in the travel industry for a number of years planning trips all over the world for her many friends. Pat would often join her friends on these trips and she visited every continent except Antarctica and South America.

Pat was known for her infectious laugh, her social nature, her generous spirit and her ability to find common ground with almost everyone.

She was preceded in death by her husband Harry; and her daughter Elisabeth. She is survived by daughters Anne, Susan and Patricia; and sister Elise McQuaid and brother-in-law Murray McQuaid. She also leaves behind many beloved nieces and nephews, David McQuaid, Matilda McQuaid, Anna McQuaid, Patricia McQuaid, Jay Speakman, Christopher Speakman, Linda Scotland and Betsy Bendix; as well as many grand nieces and nephews.

Due to the difficulties of traveling and congregating during the pandemic, a memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Arrangements entrusted to Hobbs Funeral Home, South Portland. Online condolences may be expressed at http://www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers,

donations may be made to:

Scarborough Land Trust or: Good Shephard

Food Bank

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