Meet the Rice Staff

The team of Rice Funeral Service provides quality, compassionate care to families.

Owner/Director, Kathy Dopp

Rice Funeral Service has been serving Rogers County and surrounding areas since 1945. Meet the sincere, knowledgeable staff that provides compassionate,
quality care at a time when people need it the most. 

Owner/Director
Kathy Dopp

    Kathy Dopp is proud to represent a company that has been an important part of the service businesses in Rogers County since 1945. Next year will mark 70 years for Rice Funeral Service to provide their high standard of loving care to the community. T.G. and Opal Rice established their work in Claremore at the corner of Patti Page Blvd. and Muskogee. Kathy relocated the business in 1995, to its present location at 631 E. Will Rogers Blvd. Just this year, Rice’s Oologah location has become operational. Future plans are in progress to open facilities in Chelsea. Still just a vision – but all growth begins there first – a new chapel and community center are in the planning stages and will be located adjacent to the Claremore location. Kathy and Kenny are dedicated to providing the very best to all those they serve. Kathy came to Claremore in 1977 with the purchase of the funeral home. She has raised her children here and now enjoys watching her grandchildren grow and flourish in the community schools. The capable staff, under the leadership of Kenny DeLozier, provides Kathy with greater opportunity to enjoy family, friends, and travel. However, she remains fully invested in the future of Rice Funeral Service. She is incredibly proud of the high quality of service provided to all families, as well as the plans to expand and improve those services.

Managing Director
Kenny DeLozier

    Kenny DeLozier resides in Chelsea with his wife, Pam. They share a love of their rural home with their children and have enjoyed cattle ranching together – a passion passed down from Kenny’s dad, Kenneth Sr., who passed away this year. Another passion Kenny has is the devotion of his heart and soul for the community he serves through funeral service. That devotion is a perfect match with Kathy Dopp, who has owned Rice Funeral Service since 1977. Her own dedication to service along with Kenny’s is a rare but perfect partnership. Kathy has entrusted Kenny with the position of management, which he so capably carries out on a day-to-day basis. Kenny joined Rice in 2008 with the statement in his first interview, “I don’t know if I can do this work, but I want to try.” Immediately, he began to embrace families with a high standard of genuine care, coupled with an attention to detail that provides each family with the assurance that they will be taken care of when they need that care most. Kenny completed his mortuary science degree at Amarillo College and then successfully passed his national boards. At that time, he had many full time jobs – the family ranch operations (though that is a DeLozier family affair), Tulsa World distribution (a work his father had operated before passing the torch to Kenny), a local check cashing store, his position held at the funeral home, and full time student. Because he’s found his niche at Rice, he now focuses most his efforts into the work of managing the amazing team at Rice.

Apprentice Funeral Director
Haley DeLozier

    Haley DeLozier, daughter of Kenny and Pam DeLozier, makes her home in Chelsea. She has been an integral part of the staff of Rice Funeral Service since 2010. She began her career with Rice as an assistant to the then office manager, Michele Herron. Extremely competent in that position, she took over the office management spot when Michele moved out of state with her family. Haley was not only responsible for most of the office duties, but she also became a full-time student at Amarillo College’s mortuary science program, while also assisting funeral directors in numerous other areas of service to families. She has successfully completed her national funeral boards and will be a licensed funeral director and embalmer as soon as she completes her apprenticeship requirements in April of 2015. When 23-year-old Haley isn’t working, she loves life on the farm. Horseback riding and water sports are among her favorite hobbies. She has been an active member of Chelsea’s First Baptist Church for much of her life, and enjoys the fellowship of that congregation.

Gina Wilson
Prearrangement Advisor

    Gina Wilson has given thousands of hours of time to her community through her involvement in the Claremore Chamber of Commerce, Rogers County United Way, Claremore Main Street, and many other worthy causes. Her volunteer spirit and tireless efforts reflect her desire to maker her town its very best. The business community has known Gina in her role as banker since 1981, when she made Claremore home. We at Rice were fortunate to be a part of her career change two years ago. Not only will you see Gina assisting during funeral ceremonies, but she is also the face that families see as they come to pre-arrange their celebration of life service. A student at RSU for the past two years, she has completed her basic course studies and is on target to begin the mortuary science program at Amarillo College in the fall. Though work, volunteer efforts and school require much of her time, she remains dedicated to the faithful care of her elderly mother, who makes her home at Claremore Nursing Home. Gina is also a part of the fellowship congregation at Cedar Point. When time allows, she enjoys travel, music and spending time with good friends.

Prearrangement Advisor
Chandra Krafft

    Chandra Krafft resides in Catoosa with her husband, David, a physical therapist in the area. Before joining the staff of Rice Funeral Service in 2011, Chandra worked in the insurance and financial service industry. She is a graduate of OSU with a degree in English. Because of the skills developed through study and work experience, she is able to fill several roles in our service to families. The staff at Rice believes that every life is a story, and every story deserves to be told; Chandra’s writing skills have allowed her to help put those very stories into the perfect words. She loves life in the country and enjoys riding horses and working in her garden. Sewing and quilting are also among her favorite things.

Funeral Assistant
Glenn Hutchison

    Glenn Hutchison has become an important part of the staff at Rice Funeral Service since December of 2013. He came to us with experience from the Stubblebean-Coffey Funeral Service in Pauls Valley, where he and his wife, Leta, resided before their return to Claremore. He is retired from the Homeland Grocery Corporation, but with so many talents to offer, retirement was never a fit. Glenn assists with multitudes of tasks at the funeral home and is most often available to assist during funeral ceremonies and many other behind-the-scene tasks. A member of the Claremore Assembly of God, Glenn often enjoys sharing his hobby of playing the guitar during church services. He also spends time helping his daughter and son-in-law in their new auction business. The J5 Auction Company in Oologah and their five grandchildren bring extra special joy to his and Leta’s lives.

For more information, contact

Rice Funeral Service  & Cremation Center

www.ricefuneralservice.com

About Author Sheryl Sowell

Sheryl Sowell was born and raised in Tulsa, OK. She graduated from Will Rogers High School and received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Northeastern State University in 2007. She has worked for Value News as editor, writer and advertising copywriter since 2008. She enjoys meeting and interviewing people for Value News articles, learning about their backgrounds, and helping to promote their businesses and local events. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new recipes and crafts from Pinterest, attending concerts and sporting events, and spending time with family and friends. Sheryl lives in Tulsa with her fiancé Paul, their daughter Scarlett, and their two dogs, Gunner and Boo.