James Frederick Rice, 64, of Bakersfield, Vt., died peacefully at home Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018, after a fierce battle with cancer. Throughout his illness Jim showed grace, courage and compassion, qualities that he exhibited in life.

He his survived by his partner of 27 years, Greg Popa, publisher of the Stowe Reporter and News & Citizen.

Jim was born in Cambridge, Mass., on July 13, 1953, to Jim F. and Barbara Clemons Rice, who both predeceased him. He grew up in Lincoln, Mass. Jim’s father was a city engineer for the town of Cambridge.

Lincoln held a special place in Jim’s heart, an idyllic suburb of Boston that played such an important role in American history. British soldiers captured Paul Revere there and Jim grew up exploring Battle Road and other Revolutionary War era sites in nearby towns on his bicycle with gangs of friends. The ghosts of noted American authors, revolutionaries, America’s founding fathers and others haunted Lincoln and its environs, making for a rich childhood filled with history, imagination, and the great outdoors.

Jim grew up on Old Winter Street where he raised chickens in an English-style coop built by his father, surrounded by extensive gardens created by his parents with dozens of azaleas and rhododendrons, rare conifers, small flowering trees and an extensive network of fish ponds that snaked in and out of the inspired plantings. On evenings and weekends he explored with friends the shores and woods of Sandy and Walden ponds and acres and acres of conservation lands in Lincoln and nearby Concord and Sudbury, and he loved to fish from the banks of Cambridge Reservoir.

Jim almost made it to the big leagues, but an arm injury as a teenager prevented him from taking his place alongside some of his heroes — Jim Rice, Yaz, Nomar, Fisk, Tek, Lynn, Martinez, Luis, Big Papi and too many others to name. While he followed the Patriots and Bruins, he was mostly a diehard Red Sox and baseball fan and often spoke fondly about playing Little League and high school and town league baseball on the hometown ballfields in Lincoln Center. Two of life’s highlights were finally making the trip to Cooperstown in 2016 shortly after an intensive round of chemotherapy, and sitting on the Green Monster for his 60th birthday as Mike Napoli hit a walk-off home run over the Monster in the 11th to beat the Yankees.

Jim spent many years working for Northwest Counseling and Support Services in St. Albans in a variety of capacities helping individuals with mental health and developmental issues. The testament to his talent and skill helping others lies in the love and devotion his clients showed him over his long career. Wherever Jim went in Franklin County clients with whom he’d forged relationships while working as a case manager, at the old Day Hospital, or in direct community support were always thrilled to see him.

During a brief mid-life crisis he earned a cosmetology license despite the nearly unanimous urgings from friends that he’d never survive eight-hour days listening to conversations about kids, school activities, miscellaneous gossip and parents saying, “Isn’t that side a bit longer than the other?” — rather than baseball, animal husbandry, politics or just no talk at all. He lasted six months before returning to the mental health field, as he said, for mental health reasons.

Jim and Greg met at a Burlington nightclub in 1991 and over the years enjoyed tending their 200-plus-year-old farm in Bakersfield with its cows and chickens, extensive gardens, meadows, and constant upkeep, hanging out in nearby Montgomery, hiking up the Trout River to almost-secret swimming holes with the dogs, exploring the islands and waters of Hawai’i, visiting the lake every August with Greg’s extended family, dining out, spending time with friends and family and, from April through October (hopefully) watching the Red Sox on NESN, if not from the right-field boxes at Fenway Park. Jim felt blessed to have been able to spend time in two of his favorite places in the last year: Hawai’i, where he spent a portion of each winter over the last 20 years, and Provincetown, Mass., where his grandmother was born and which always felt a bit like home.

Besides his husband, he is survived by his father-in-law John Popa of Akron; brother John of Lincoln; sisters Susan Gainer and husband Mark, of Shirley, Mass., Barbara Dauplaise of Stow, Mass., and Laura Maillet and husband Claude of Leominster, Mass.; sisters-in-law Deborah Szabo of Lakewood, Ohio, and Lisa Popa and husband David Petty of Akron; brother-in-law Randy Popa and wife Maureen, of Akron; many nieces and nephews; special friends Stephanie Potter of Burlington, Vt., and Patrick and Janet Havrilko of St. Albans; and many others. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by beloved second mother Jeanne M. Popa, grandmother Edna B. Clemons, and brother-in-law Dennis Dauplaise.

Throughout his life Jim cared for many animals, including his dogs Judd, Brendel, Kirby, Willie, Lucy, Otis, Red and Digger; and cats Paisley, Sparky, Monkey and Schaefer. For 15 years Jim and Greg raised a small herd of Jerseys on their little village farm — Bessie, Billie, Hack (plus a few that were eventually sold to other local farmers) and Dinah the Hereford — who all lived to ripe old ages. Dinah is locally famous for having rolled down the hillside and not being able to get up, that is until the vet arrived when she righted herself instantly and ambled off unharmed. Jim milked for several years until his hands gave out.

The cows, along with Virginia Holiman, served as witnesses when Jim and Greg underwent a civil union in their barn, led by justice of the peace Peter Hartt, his first official ceremony. They later married under full marriage equality on Sept. 9, 2009.

A special thanks to Susan Jaynes, NP, of Cambridge Health Center, friends and caregivers Stephanie Potter, Carolyn Bronz and Marieanne West, and all of the nurses, LNAs and others from Franklin County Home Health and Hospice — notably Emma Cushing — who do the heroic work, every day, of helping families in their most difficult time of need. If so inclined, donations can be made in Jim’s name to Franklin County Home Health Agency, 3 Home Health Circle, St. Albans VT 05478.

Inurnment will be private. A gathering in Jim’s memory will be held on Sunday, March 11 in Montgomery Center.

A.W. Rich Funeral Home in Fairfax was in charge of arrangements. Share your memories and condolences by visiting awrfh.com.