RICHARD B. JANICE was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1930 to Harry R. Janice and his wife, the former Irene Jane Sullivan. He was the sixth of nine children, coming after Harry Jr., Mary, Bertha, Irene, and Catherine, and before George, Evelyn, and John. Sadly, both Mary and John died in their first year. The family was living at 237 Byron Street in the Poet's Row section of North Camden when the Census was taken in April of 1930. Next door at 235 Byron Street lived the Brendlinger family, both Richard Janice and Ed Brendlinger, who was two years older than young Richard, would go on to long careers as members of the Camden Fire Department. 

Richard Janice's father Harry R. Janice Sr. worked at the Kind & Knox gelatin factory at North 5th and Erie Streets in North Camden. By 1942 the Janice family was living at 320 Bailey Street. Harry Janice Sr. had been promoted to foreman at Kind & Knox by 1947. Older brother Harry R. Janice Jr. later went into politics and served as a member of the Camden Board of Education in the 1950s. Harry Janice Sr. passed away in 1957. The family moved from Bailey Street in the 1960s.

Richard Janice enlisted in the United States Navy and served for four years, mostly aboard the USS Waccamaw AO-109. The Waccamaw was a replenishment oiler in the United States Navy. She was named after Waccamaw River. The original capacity was 146,000 barrels (23,200 m3). Waccamaw was laid down on 28 April 1945 by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania and launched on 30 March 30, 1946. It was the last of five oilers in the Mispillion class.

In September 1948, Waccamaw was assigned to duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean and, in the spring of 1949, was transferred to the 2nd Fleet for exercises in the Caribbean. A second tour of the Mediterranean followed in the early part of 1950 and a third in 1951, the latter extending to nine months.
After a shipyard overhaul at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1952, Waccamaw participated in the development of the Thompson-Arwood method of fueling destroyers at sea in heavy weather. In 1953, the ship made her first midshipman cruise, which included a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. During the summer of 1954, Waccamaw was again in the Mediterranean for her fourth tour with the 6th Fleet. This was followed by logistic services in the western Atlantic and Caribbean. On a second midshipman cruise in 1955, she visited Copenhagen, Denmark and Edinburgh, Scotland. In the fall of 1955, the ship entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for overhaul and proceeded to the Caribbean for training the following spring.

Having completed his military service, Richard B. Janice returned to Camden. He was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on November 16, 1956. New Jersey Bell Telephone Directories from 1959 through 1970 show him living at 238 North 32nd Street in East Camden. By 1977 he had moved to 214 North 37th Street where he is listed through 1992. He later moved to Haddon Heights, New Jersey

In the early 1990s Richard Janice served at Engine Company 7 in the second platoon, with Captain Vincent Ardire and fire fighters, David Hicks, George Wilson, and Frank McGuckin.

Richard Janice served the City of Camden for over 40 years. He retired on June 1, 1997.

Richard Janice resided in Atlantic City in his later years. He passed away on September 11, 2012, survived by six children, thirteen great-grandchildren and four of his siblings.