HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Laura Rice celebrated her 106th birthday Sunday at Commonwealth Senior Living, surrounded by four generations of family and friends.
Born in Alton, Virginia, in 1920, Rice spent most of her life in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, before moving to Henrico in 2018. She has traveled to 10 countries and climbed part of the Great Wall of China at 89.
Her advice for a long life: "Pray daily, stay active and engaged, exercise, socialize, eat healthy, and limit medication."
Rice worked as a librarian at Oak Ridge High School and took accounting and art classes at community college while raising two children with her first husband, Earl Thomas. She was active in Central Baptist Church, served as a high-ranking officer in the Order of Eastern Star, and belonged to a ladies' group called the "Go Getters."
She and Earl were field directors for the local National Campers and Hikers Association chapter and enjoyed square dancing.
Earl died from a stroke in 1988. Their son Bill died at 51 from a congenital heart condition after surviving eight heart attacks by age eight and three open-heart surgeries.
Ten years later, Rice married Walter Rice, who died of cancer in 2002.
Rice volunteered at Oak Ridge Methodist Hospital into her mid-90s and drove until age 98. She maintained her three-bedroom home alone before moving to Virginia to be closer to family.
"Just try to live the best you can," Rice said when asked for advice to younger generations.
Her family says Rice remains resilient and adventurous, with plenty of stories from her younger years that keep everyone entertained.
Tuesday’s aloha-themed birthday party included her three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Rice said she's already thinking about her 107th birthday party.
Do you know about a good news story in your community? Email the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
