Merseyside football and business figures pay tribute to Paul Rice at Metropolitan Cathedral funeral
Paul Rice's funeral at Liverpool Metropolitan CathedralPROMINENT figures from Merseyside’s football and business world were among the mourners who attended the funeral of late Liverpool Commercial District Partnership chief executive Paul Rice.
Liverpool FC managing director Ian Ayre, Liverpool City Council leader Cllr Joe Anderson and former leader Cllr Warren Bradley were present at the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral.
Also in attendance at yesterday afternoon’s requiem mass were the head of Liverpool Vision Max Steinberg, the chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce, Jack Stopforth and several hundred of Mr Rice’s family and friends.
In a moving 10-minute eulogy, Peter Rice explained that his brother’s “lasting legacy to the city of Liverpool” was successfully campaigning for a yes vote in the ballot last year to achieve Business Improvement District status for the commercial district.
He called the success his brother’s “single greatest achievement”.
The gathering was told that the two brothers would regularly meet up on rallies as representatives of the Broadgreen Labour Party and its Garston counterpart.
Mr Rice’s political past included going to marches in St Helens and Warrington during the miners’ strike.
He was the manager of Warrington town centre and helped redesign the public spaces in the aftermath of the IRA bombing of the town.
A passionate Liverpool FC fan, Mr Rice was also lifetime vice-president of the Spirit Of Shankly Supporters’ Union.
Close friend and LFC legend Sammy Lee read out part of the service’s ‘prayer to the faithful’ with Mr Rice’s two daughters Janine and Louise.
Mr Rice had chosen the music and the readings for the service which included the opening hymn Faith of Our Fathers and a letter from St Paul to the Corinthians.
Messages that he had prepared before his passing were read out by his brother during his eulogy.
A note to his daughters spoke of his undying love for them.
It read: “Two wonderful human beings. Two sisters and daughters. I love you so much.”
Mr Rice died aged 54 at the Marie Curie hospice in Woolton two Saturdays ago from “donor versus host” disease after battling leukaemia.
His brother later said: “The void created by our loss is immeasurable.”
The funeral cortege yesterday went on to Anfield Crematorium for a private service for family and close friends. A reception celebrating his life was held at the Sandon pub in Anfield, where Mr Rice helped to found Spirit Of Shankly four years ago.
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