LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Edward Rice upon the occasion of his
designation as a Gael of the Year of the 37th Annual Queens County St.
Patrick's Day Parade, March 3, 2012

WHEREAS, St. Patrick's Day is a time for people of all nationalities and
generations to assemble and celebrate the rich culture and heritage of
the Irish people throughout these United States; and
WHEREAS, A St. Patrick's Day Parade reflects and records the ongoing
history of the United States and Ireland, and highlights the many
contributions and historical accomplishments of the Irish community in
this diverse land; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Edward Rice
upon the occasion of being named a Gael of the Year of the 37th Annual
Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade, to be held on Saturday, March 3,
2012; and
WHEREAS, Paddy McCarthy will also be honored as a Gael of the Year;
and
WHEREAS, In addition, the 37th Annual Queens County St. Patrick's Day
Parade will honor Kevin O'Brien as Grand Marshal of the parade and
Thomas Flood and Eileen Long-Chelales as Honorary Grand Marshals; and
WHEREAS, Also being honored as Deputy Grand Marshals at this year's
Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade are Maureen Donachie, Mary Ellen
Murray, Maurice Landers, Ralph Reed, Richard Keane, Mark C. Edwards,
Laura Sporny, Sister Agnes White, C.S.J., Eileen McDonald, and Michael
Charles Schramm, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, All of this year's honorees are fittingly being recognized
for their service in their individual fields to the Irish and Irish-Am-
ericans throughout New York State; and
WHEREAS, Edward Rice was born in Queens, New York on March 23, 1952;
he is a second generation Irish-American, tracing his ancestry to coun-
ties Fermanagh and Kildare on his mother's side and to County Louth on
his father's side; and
WHEREAS, Edward Rice attended St. Mel's Elementary School in Flushing
and St. Helena's High School in the Bronx; he graduated from Marist
College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a minor in Span-
ish; since 1976, he has served with the New York City Department of
Education as a bilingual classroom teacher, and later as an attendance
teacher; and
WHEREAS, An awareness of his Irish heritage and culture was sparked
when, during a year of study in Spain, he found time to visit Ireland;
he revisited Ireland in 1990 on the Irish Peoples' Tour of the occupied
Northeast part of Ireland; and
WHEREAS, Edward Rice joined the Ancient Order of Hibernians in 1976 as
a founding member of the reconstituted Division 15 in Whitestone; since
then, he has held positions on the Division, County, and State levels of
the A.O.H. and is currently serving his third term as President of the
Queens County Board; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the A.O. H., Ed Rice never turned down member-
ship in other Irish and Catholic organizations when asked to join; when
he became an Attendance Teacher in Community School District 27 in 1988,
he was asked by the Founder and dearly departed "Captain" of the Queens
County St. Patrick's Parade Committee, James Conway Sullivan, to come to
a Parade meeting; a few years later, he became Financial Secretary, a
position he held until 2011; and
WHEREAS, Edward Rice became a member of the Commodore Barry Club of
Brooklyn after being appointed New York State A.O.H. Commodore John
Barry Chairman which brought him into contact with a rich assortment of

Irish community activists including Mary Nolan, President of the club,
and went on to serve as its Recording Secretary for almost twenty years;
and
WHEREAS, Edward Rice became the President of the Catholic Teachers
Association of the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2008 and is still ably serving
as its President; and
WHEREAS, Also a 3rd Degree Knight of Columbus, Edward Rice is a member
of the South Ozone Park Council 2236 and a member of the St. Mel's Men's
Club; when he was on sabbatical, he took up acting at Queensborough
Community College, and most excitingly, he is greatly looking forward to
his marriage to Maureen Leahy in August; and
WHEREAS, Edward Rice truly embodies the spirit and the cherished
ideals and values of Irish-Americans of this great State and nation; it
is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individuals of such
noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should
be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of the great State of
New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Edward Rice upon the occasion of his designation as a Gael of the
Year of the 37th Annual Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade, to be
held on March 3, 2012; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Edward Rice.