Henry F. Rice
Year Inducted: 2017
Kaonoulu Ranch | Maui
Molokaʻi Ranch | Maui
Henry Rice was born May 24, 1938 in Kula, Maui, the son of Harold “Oskie” Rice and Betty Rice and grew up in Makawao and Kula on his family-owned, Kaonoulu Ranch. He attended Kaunoa Elementary School, Punahou High School, and Colorado State University. He graduated from Colorado State University in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in Animal Husbandry.
It was at Colorado State University where he met his future wife, Sandy. They got married in November 1960 and moved to Moloka‘i, where he was employed by Moloka‘i Ranch.
While on Moloka‘i, their two children were born. Henry and Sandy became the proud parents of a daughter, Wendy, and a son, Philip.
In 1965, Henry left Molokaʻi Ranch where he was Manager of Cattle Operations and moved to Honolulu to join the Bank of Hawaii. While at Bank of Hawaii, he rose through the ranks to the Senior Executive position. He was in charge, first, of the Corporate Banking division, and then of all of the retail banking units, domestic and international.
In 1989, he was recognized by a joint session of the State of Hawaiʻi legislators as a Leader in Hawaiʻi’s Business and Community Organizations, a well-deserved honor not lightly conferred.
After 25 years with Bank of Hawaii, while never losing touch with his ranching roots, Henry took early retirement in January 1990. He moved back to Maui to take charge of his family’s ranch as the Managing General Partner. The financial skills he acquired during his banking career helped him successfully steer Kaonoulu Ranch through the constantly evolving challenges arising in ranching and land management. He was ultimately able to secure the ranch’s fiscal future. In 2014, after overseeing the ranch’s expansion in both its ranching operations on Maui and its Mainland operations in commercial properties, Henry stepped down to a senior advisory position in order to pass on the mantle of leadership to the next generation in his family who continue to carry on the tradition today.
As an avid sportsman, Henry has always enjoyed hunting, fishing, rodeo, polo, tennis, and golfing, but most of all, he still enjoys saddling up to work cattle with the Kaonoulu Ranch’s paniolo. A paniolo’s work is never done!