Doris G. Grice

Doris G. Grice died on Monday, November 5, 2012, in the Donnell House, with her family at her side. She was born on February 18, 1924, in Pittsburgh. Mrs. Grice was a strong and independent woman. She drove a truck during World War II, and when the men came home, and management wanted her to transfer to an inside job, she fought to continue to drive a truck, until she quit to be a full-time mother. Mrs. Grice and her first husband, began building a house in Crafton, and after his unexpected death, she finished the home herself, even laying the block. She started making candy at home, which, along with Ted, became a large family business, known as “Grice’s Chocolates”, which they continued until Ted’s health caused them to retire. In 1960, Doris and Ted bought a farm in South Franklin Township. This lifelong city woman immediately set out to learn how to farm. She came up with the name “Folly Hollow Farm”, and used her artistic ability to create the jester logo, which represents the farm to this day. Her involvements in the day-to-day decisions of the family-owned dairy farm continued until her death. Mrs. Grice was a graduate of Langley High School, and attended, what was then known, as Carnegie-Tech, to study art. Though busy with the children, and the farm and candy business, she continued to draw and paint, whenever she could, even in the last weeks of her life. She was active in the community, being a member of South Franklin Township’s first Planning Commission. Mrs. Grice volunteered her time for PTA variety shows, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H, and broke ground as the first woman to coach a boys baseball Colt League team. Whatever activity she was involved in, she made it fun. She was athletic and very competitive, but, win or lose, she had fun. She taught her children to work hard, by working with them, and even made that fun, as she made them better people. Mrs. Grice treasured her many friends from the community, as well as her bowling group, and the Washington High School reunion committee, a group who “adopted” her when Ted passed away. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. She was predeceased by 2 husbands, Jerry Sprau, and John E. (Ted) Grice, Jr., to whom she was married for over 50 years. Surviving are 6 children, Kathy (Bill) Colborn, John E. (Judy) Grice, III, Cynthia (Smittie) Brown, Bruce (Becky) Grice, Peggy “Nancy” (Ken) Kammerer, and Todd (Jane) Grice; 14 grandchildren, Jennifer (Frank) Aliberti, John E. “Jed” (Nicole) Grice, IV, Heather (Andy) Nelson, Meghan (Jace) Ely, Amanda, Allison and Michael Brown, Bruce Grice, II, Brent (Christina) and Blake Grice, Alex and Kathy Kammerer, and Luke and Torie Grice; and 7 great-grandchildren, Frankie and Katie Aliberti, Cooper and Holden Grice, and Elsie, Bridget and Jude Ely. Friends will be received on Thursday, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., in the William G. Neal Funeral Homes, Ltd., 925 Allison Ave., Washington, where services will be held on Friday, November 9, 2012, at 12:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Red Cross, 225 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or the Donnell House, Hospice Care of the Washington Hospital, 155 Wilson Ave, Washington, PA 15301.