Margaret 'Maggie' Rice Vandergon 1927-2026

By Atascadero News · Fri Feb 20 2026

Margaret, ‘Maggie,’ Rice Vandergon, age 98, of Atascadero, CA, passed away peacefully on January 3, 2026, surrounded by family. 

Born on June 19, 1927, in Paso Robles, CA, Maggie was the beloved daughter of Frank and Ella Adams, along with her brother Don living in the Parkfield ranching community east of San Miguel. After graduating from Paso Robles High School in 1945, she attended Mercy College in San Diego in pursuit of her Registered Nurse degree. She returned to the Paso Robles area and worked for Dr. Fred Ragsdale, M.D., as a surgical nurse while raising her sons, Greg Claassen and Tim Rohrer. Upon being introduced to Dr. Chet Rice O.D., they eventually married and had a son, Douglas, in 1967. Following Chet’s death, Maggie continued living in Atascadero. During her time running the Colony Days parade, she met Mr. Jack Vandergon. They married and traveled by RV all over the U.S. and Mexico. 

While always keeping busy, Maggie was the founder of the Colony Days Parade, member of Atascadero Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, held the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of Twin Cities Hospital, ran the first aid tent at the Mid State Fair for 11 years, served on the County Grand Jury, served on the Pioneer Days committee as parade chairman, received Elks’ Citizen of the year award, organized a blood drive every quarter for 20 years at the Elks, Citizen of the year from both Atascadero and Paso Robles, as well as going back to college in her sixties to receive her certificate for completing the Institute for Organization Management at Stanford University and becoming her graduating class valedictorian. 

She spent her life devoted to family, career, faith, local community, and was known for her spunk, energy, generosity, and leadership. She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who found her greatest joy in raising her children and spending time with her grandchildren. Those who knew her will remember her infinite energy and countless hours of volunteer work in our communities. 

Maggie is survived by her youngest son, Douglas (Lisa) Rice, grandsons Ryan (Stacy) Claassen and Colton (McKenzie) Rice, along with two great-granddaughters, Ella and Sage. 

A mass will be held on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 11:00 am at San Miguel Mission, then immediately following for burial at San Miguel Cemetery. Then a celebration of life reception will follow at Atascadero Elks Lodge from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.