Obituaries

Jack spent 39 years at General Motors in Van Nuys and retired in 1992. Jack loved the outdoors: camping, hunting, fishing and traveling with his wife in their motor home. He was a very devoted husband, father and grandfather, and it was his family that brought him the most joy. He will be dearly missed but never forgotten.Jack is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Norma; children, Jack D. Frutos, Ken (wife Sandra) Frutos, and Denise (husband Frank) Ramos; grandchildren, Ashley, Frankie, Kennedy and Jason; one brother, Frank Frutos; and one sister, Jessie Rodriguez.Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Carlos and Teresa Frutos, and one sister, Angie.Burial service was held June 30 at Pierce Brothers Santa Paula Cemetery.Arrangements were under the direction of Pierce Brothers Stetler Mortuary, 128 S. 8th St., Santa Paula.Janice May RiceJanice May Whalen was born on a ranch on Vineyard Avenue on January 20, 1919 – there was no hospital in Oxnard. Her mother was Ruth Dorothy Whalen, who had come to the Oxnard area to teach when she graduated from Los Angeles Normal (now UCLA). At the Oxnard Methodist Church young people’s group she spied Ned Whalen, and at the end of her second year of teaching they were married. Janice’s father, Edwin Albert Whalen (known by the family as Ned) and his father had purchased 50 acres on Vineyard Avenue and planted half of it in lemons and the other half in apricots. Janice had two brothers. Wesley Albert Whalen, who was born in 1929, died at 3 months old. Richard Keith Whalen (known by the family as Keith) was born in 1925. In 1945 he was killed in combat in World War II.Janice attended Oxnard schools. Upon graduation she moved to UCLA for her undergraduate degree (1940), and then on to USC for her master’s degree (1951). She taught school for 39 years. She taught in El Rio for three years, Oxnard for three years, Los Angeles for one year and Ventura for 32 years.In 1953 she married Paul Diston Rice, Doctor of Chiropractic, in Santa Paula. He was a sentimental man and arranged to have the pastor both of them knew marry them at sunrise in the rose garden under an arch, which Janice had built. This, according to the groom, signified the starting of a new life together. The marriage lasted 42 years, until he passed away in 1995.After retirement, Janice continued traveling to foreign countries, a total of 53 of them. She took 35mm slides used in presenting programs to clubs and organizations. This resulted in the Armchair Travelers Program in the Santa Paula Library every Wednesday for 10 years. Janice upgraded her photography with advanced classes, seminars, reading and competing in camera clubs. She reached the third level in Travel Photography in the Photographic Society of America.In recent years she became an avid student of computers, community work including driving for Meals on Wheels, special needs driving, and volunteer teaching through the FLAIR program and also in elementary schools. She loved the Lord, Jesus Christ and was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Santa Paula.Janice leaves behind special members in the extended family – cousin Vivian Johnson, Charles and Sally Johnson of Oxnard and children Kathy and Bill Johnson; Bruce and Linda Johnson of Castro Valley and children Doug Johnson and Debi Monk; Betty Ruth Johnson and children Edward Fontaine and Marianne Palmer; cousins Ted and Vivian Daniels of Camarillo; Larry and Joyce Johnson of Marino Valley; Paul and Shirley Johnson of Visalia; Winifred Beyer of Oregon, and many other family members including Sheryl Echternacht, Joyce Ambler, Craig DeMoss, Gary DeMoss and Vicki Miller, all of Indiana, and hundreds of friends and the thousands of students she impacted and loved through her classroom.According to her wishes, a private family graveside service was held. This godly lady will be missed but not forgotten! (John 6:47).Memorial contributions may be made to her church: First United Methodist Church of Santa Paula, 133 N. Mill St., Santa Paula, CA 93060.Arrangements are under the direction of Pierce Brothers Stetler Mortuary, 128 S. 8th St., Santa Paula; 525-5595.