Deanna Hansen Rice
May 8, 1939 – February 13, 2026

Our beloved mother, Deanna Rice, passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 13, 2026, in Idaho Falls, following a final week surrounded by the family she spent her life building. In her last moments, she made sure we knew how much she loved us, and we felt her deep gratitude for the life we shared. Our hearts are heavy, but we take comfort in her certainty that she has returned to the loving God she spent her life serving and to the ‘home beyond mortality’ she spoke of with such faith.

Born on May 8, 1939, to Hyrum Dee and Mary Annie Hansen, she was the eldest of eleven children. As the ‘big sister’ of her large family, she naturally stepped into a caretaking role that would define her character for the next eight decades. Whether she was excelling in her studies or mastering the practical skills she would later pass down to us, Mom approached everything with a quiet determination and a heart ready to help.

After graduating from Lehi High School (1957) and Snow College (1959), she earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Utah State University on June 11, 1961. Later, she expanded on this passion by earning a degree in Special Education. Teaching became part of her way of expressing love. She found great joy in lifting up young children and those on the margins of society, teaching us all that everyone deserves to be seen and valued.

Just one day after her college graduation, on June 12, 1961, Mom married Odell Windsor Rice in the Logan Utah Temple. This was the start of a partnership that would span decades as they moved among many small towns in Idaho, Utah, and Oregon. Over the course of 40 years, Dad and Mom raised ten children together. In 1993, they finally settled in Malad – Dad’s childhood home – which Mom embraced as her own adopted home.

Mom modeled what it meant to live a life of service, hard work, and stubborn resilience. To us, and to the many young people she mentored, she celebrated virtues of creativity and frugality. Her door was truly always open, especially to their 37 grandchildren. After all the roles Mom filled throughout her long life, her favorite became simply being ‘Grandma.’

Mom’s legacy of love lives on through eight of her children – Del Von, Amy, Claudia Ann, Owen Dee, Colleen, Mary Beth, Donna, and Linda, her grandchildren, and a growing circle of great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her parents, husband, three sisters, two children (Karma and Kevin Ira), two sons-in-law, and many other loved ones, she had faith in many happy reunions beyond the veil.

We invite all those whose lives Mom touched to join us as we honor her remarkable life. Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 20, 2026, at 12 noon, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse, 200 West 400 North, Malad, ID. A viewing to share our favorite remembrances will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The services will be broadcast and available to watch by clicking the watch video tab on the obituary.

To our family and friends, we would love for you to share your own cherished memories of Deanna through the Horsley Funeral Home’s website at www.horsleyfuneralhome.com.