NEW CASTLE, NH USA — Elizabeth A. Bennett Rice, 55, beloved wife of Peter Peirce Rice and friend to many, passed away peacefully in her sleep in her New Castle home in the early morning hours of October 2nd. While carrying on a courageous and inspirational battle with ovarian cancer, she became a role model for others with the disease. Upon her retirement in 2006, Beth devoted her life to her Madam Ovary Foundation, the mission of which is to help fund research and education pertaining to all aspects of ovarian cancer.

Beth was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, on April 20th, 1953, the daughter of Olive L. and the late William A. Bennett. She was a 1971 graduate of Glen Burnie High School, Glen Burnie, Maryland and of Katherine Gibbs in Boston in 1973. Beth’s long career in the financial world began as a secretary with Merrill Lynch. In 1989, she became a Vice President and member of the President’s Club at Dean Witter Reynolds. Resigning from that position to enroll in the Simmons College MBA Program, she graduated with the highest honors in 1991.

Returning to the securities industry, her career spanned Marketing Manager at Chubb Securities Corporation, Assistant Vice President at Bank of Boston and later Vice President in charge of marketing and distribution at Pioneer Mutual Fund in Boston. Designated a Certified Financial Analyst in 1998, she became Pioneer’s International Investment Managing Director. This position took her to Europe and the Middle East including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

From Pioneer, she moved to Mass Mutual Funds as Vice President of Institutional Advisors. In 2002, she worked in Client Development for David L. Babson Company. She finished her career in 2006 as a Vice President of Marketing for Lincoln Financial Corporation. Beth characteristically maintained close relationships throughout all of these ventures.

She leaves her devoted husband of 22 years, Peter P. Rice, and her mother Olive Bennett, her brother William Bennett and his wife Monica and her two treasured nephews, Oliver and Alex Bennett, all of Baltimore, Maryland. Also surviving is her Aunt Lorraine Willis of Annapolis, Maryland and her cousins Jill O’Connor of Southboro, Massachusetts and Jerry Willis of Glen Burnie, Maryland. She also leaves beloved cats Ellie, Maggie, Benning and Tobias.

WE REMEMBER — Beth traveled extensively throughout the world for both business and pleasure. Some of her favorite places away from New Castle were the British Isles and especially Scotland, Eastern Europe and Russia. While on safari, she survived a charge by silver back gorilla in the Zaire rainforest. As her guides fled, she did exactly as instructed to protect herself – take the fetal position and avoid eye contact.

Her many passions included opera, sporting clays (an accomplished shot), needlepoint, cooking, gardening and exchanging experiences with everyone she met. An avid reader, she devoured history books, especially those pertaining to Russia and the Romanov dynasty.

Beth enjoyed an active lifestyle which reflected her adventurous spirit. She loved the sun and made numerous trips to the Florida Keys where she enjoyed sport fishing. In June, she and Peter joined friends, touring France from the Alps to the Mediterranean coast.

In 1995, she started riding with the Seacoast Young Team in the Pan Mass Challenge and continued through 2002. In 2006, a year after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer she rode one last time, inspiring all who knew her. Those many rides over a two-day, 192-mile course, raised in excess of $200,000 for cancer care and research.

Beth was a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of the Music Hall, a founding Board Member of the Pre-Natal Clinic now part of Families First and was a Proprietor of the Portsmouth Athenaeum serving as Chair of the Investment Committee.

Her lasting legacy will be her commitment to the mission of the Madam Ovary Foundation.

SERVICES: Family and friends are invited to call at her home, 17 Duck’s Head, New Castle, New Hampshire, Sunday, October 5th, 2008 from 3 to 7pm. Funeral services through the Farrell Funeral Home will be Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 10:00am, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A reception will follow at Thaxter Hall adjacent to St. John’s. Burial arrangements will be private. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to the Madam Ovary Foundation, Post Office Box #734, New Castle, New Hampshire 03854 or through our online donation form.

My name is Beth Bennett. I am 55 years old and live in New Castle, New Hampshire, with my husband Peter Rice. I was diagnosed with Stage III-C of a rare and aggressive form of Ovarian Cancer in July of 2005. Here we are one year later crossing the finsh line of the Pan-Mass Challenge--our way of celebrating one-year of living with Ovarian Cancer.

I founded Madam Ovary as a 501(c)3 to fight back against my cancer in a constructive and positive manner. One of Madam Ovary’s goals is to fund research projects focusing on early detection. If diagnosed early, ovarian cancer IS treatable and curable. Unfortunately that happens less than 20% of the time. Of the other 80% late stage cases, the 5-year survival rate is again less than 20 percent. This MUST change. The other part of “Madam’s” mission is to increase awareness and educate women and their doctors.

Three years ago, I had no idea what was happening to me—no one had ever even mentioned ovarian cancer. My doctor, faced with EVERY symptom, continued to deny that I had cancer  much less ovarian cancer. Just think of how many thousands of women and their families go through what I’m experiencing because of lack of education and awareness. It is a tragedy…a wrong that must be made right.