| Jeanne Bice | |
| Birth Date: | 20 July 1939 |
| Occupation: | entrepreneur, businesswoman, and television personality |
| Birth Place: | Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Boca Raton, Florida, U.S. |
Jeanne Bice (July 20, 1939 – June 10, 2011) was an entrepreneur, businesswoman and television personality. Bice was the founder of the Quacker Factory clothing line, which led to frequent appearances on QVC beginning in 1995.[1] [2] Her company, Quacker Factory, has grossed more than $50 million in sales, as of March 2011.[1] She was also a frequent guest on The Soup, appearing opposite host Joel McHale.[1]
Bice was born on July 20, 1939, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where she was also raised.[1] She later moved to the nearby town of Ripon, Wisconsin as an adult.[3] Bice and her husband, Arlow "Butch" Bice Jr., had a son and a daughter, Tim and Lee.[1] [3] She opened her first store, a women's apparel and gift shop called The Silent Woman, with friend Maryanne Diedrich, as a hobby.[3] Her original store, which was bankrolled by both of their husbands,[2] was located at Ransom and East Fond du Lac Streets in Ripon.[3]
Bice's husband, Butch Bice, died of a sudden heart attack in 1981 at the age of 42, leaving her a widow with two children to support.[3] Now a widowed housewife at 40 years old, Bice needed a source of income and had few career skills at the time.[3] Bice, with the help of business partner Maryanne Diedrich, who divorced around the same time,[2] and other friends from Ripon, began creating a seasonal clothing line which she designed and decorated.[1] [3] The clothing line would become Quacker Factory.[1] In 2007, Bice elaborated on the early days of her business with the Palm Beach Post, "I never wanted to be in business. Mary Ann and I went into business on an absolute lark, and the result became the mainstay and support of our lives. Our shop was truly a gift from God. Mary Ann and I helped raised each other's kids, and helped each other figure out where we were going and how to get there."[2]
Bice relocated to Florida in 1983, but continued to work on the Quacker Factory line and its eventual parent company, The Quack, Inc.[3] She made her first appearance in QVC, a home shopping network based in Pennsylvania, on February 4, 1995.[4] Her QVC debut proved a financial success, with her entire product line selling out in a few minutes while the show was still on the air.[4] The first show created a sixteen-year relationship with QVC and led to Bice's numerous appearances on the network.[1] Viewers began watching her QVC not only for her products, but also for Bice's stories as well.[4] Bice was known on-air for her trademark headbands and sequined, decorated clothing.[1] Her partnership with QVC transformed Quacker Factory from a small company into a multimillion-dollar business, grossing more than $50 million as of March 2011.[1] [4]
Bice's appearances on QVC and her Quacker Factory line made her a cult figure to her fans.[1] Her core group of more than two million fans[2] and customers call themselves "quackers."[3] She frequently filmed guest appearances on The Soup and kept a Soup Award given to her by Joel McHale in her office, according to a 2011 interview with the Huffington Post.[5]
Jeanne Bice died of complications from uterine cancer on June 10, 2011, at the age of 71.[3] She was a resident of Boca Raton, Florida.[2]
Nicole Parker portrayed Bice in three comedy sketches lampooning Quacker Factory during seasons 11 and 12 of Mad TV.[6]