Warsaw,

Max Arnold Grice, born on September 16, 1934, died peacefully on July 30, 2026 at his home in Warsaw. He was the second son of Ormond Larkins Grice and Ruth Lancaster Grice who passed away soon after his birth. His second mother was Dorcas Swinson Grice, second wife of Ormond.

Max graduated from Warsaw High School and attended Hargrave Military Academy where he had followed his beloved high school football coach Allen Draughon. He excelled in sports, especially football and basketball, and kept up with the James Kenan Tigers teams throughout his life, attending many of their games into his late eighties. NASCAR was another sport he followed with a passion, attending in person and watching televised races. He and his buddies also enjoyed frequent trips to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Max was a man of faith and served his home church, Warsaw Baptist, as a deacon for many years. Truly his pastor and church friends helped him endure the tragic loss of both his daughters to illness.

Without a doubt his first love was his wife Peggy Taylor Grice, also a Warsaw girl from the Baltic Crossroads area whom he married in 1955. Max then left home to serve in the US Navy for two years. A tour of the Mediterranean aboard the USS Lake Champlain was definitely the highlight of his term. He returned home to settle down with Peggy and to farm with his father and brother Bill. His beloved daughter Rachel Faye was born in 1958 and three years later Susan Lynn arrived. Deciding to branch out on their own, brothers Bill and Max began “burning up” I-95 to New York City bringing back used cars to refurbish and sell. For a short time he ran a service station across the street from Grice’s Used Cars. Later in life he worked for the state of NC at the local ABC store and then as a tobacco grader on the auction circuit. In retirement Max transported cars for local dealerships and maintained his yard and vegetable patch.

 Max was predeceased by his beloved two daughters Rachel Faye Autry and Susan Lynn Grice, and by his brother Milton Grice. He is survived by his wife of 70years, Peggy Taylor Grice; brother Dr. Ormond Drew Grice; sister Linda Ann Grice; nieces Janice Grice Garner and Mary Grice Bell and their spouses Raymond and Patrick; nephew Ormond Drew Grice, Jr. and wife Lissa; Virgil Taylor and family, Rebecca Turner and family, Nancy Gilbert and family, along with great nieces, and great nephews.