Former Dalhousie athlete Judi Rice remembered for long-lasting career

Judi Rice, a former star athlete and coach at Dalhousie University, passed away on Aug. 26 at 75 years old. 

Judi Rice consistently supported Dal Tigers athletics programs for five decades. She starred as a varsity athlete in basketball and field hockey before serving as the president of the Black and Gold Club, an established organization formed in the 1980s that raises funds for varsity athletes and builds community among alumni and sports fans.

“She was a Tiger in the truest sense,” says Tim Maloney, assistant vice-president of athletics and ancillary services for the Tigers. “She was tenacious. She was loyal. She was dedicated, and she was a great friend.”  

Following her passing, Dal founded the Judi Rice Women’s Athletics Memorial Fund to support and empower women’s varsity sports. 

“She’s one in a million,” says Tom Lynch, former president of the Black and Gold Club. “There are people that support [a] university and support a particular team, but Judi supported everyone, which is part of the reason that we initiated the [fund].”

Those qualities carried her through her notable career with Dal athletics. She helped jumpstart the Dalhousie Tigers women’s hockey program to achieve gender equality across the Atlantic University Sports varsity hockey programs.

Rice was inducted into the Dalhousie Sport Hall of Fame in 2010, recognizing her contributions to the varsity athletics program.

Rice began her academic career at Acadia University for a single year before transferring to Dalhousie to pursue a degree in physical education. 

She played for Dal athletics from 1971 to 1975 and was part of five championship teams, four in field hockey and one in basketball. She was also awarded the women’s field hockey MVP in 1975. 

“She was a very selfless person who was full of gratitude for her experience at Dal as a student and as an athlete, and really valued what she learned here as a human,” says Maloney. 

After her academic career, she stayed true to the Tigers’ crest, serving as assistant coach of the women’s basketball team for one season. 

The Black and Gold Club helps raise funds and support Dalhousie athletics and student-athletes as they balance academics and athletic programs. Rice became a member of the club’s board of directors in 1990 and served as its president for eight years.

“Judi’s commitment to Dalhousie and to women’s sport really stands out,” says Tanya McKay, head coach of the women’s basketball team. “Her positivity and genuine support of women in sport left a lasting impact.” 

Beyond her involvement, athletic contributions and presidential role in the Black and Gold Club, Rice left her name behind to younger generations in women’s academic sports.

“She always stayed true to the black and gold. I don’t think I’ve met someone who was more proud to be a Dalhousie Tiger than Judi,” says Maloney.