Mr. John William Price's Obituary
John William Price was born to Samuel Richard and Carrie Withers Price in Charlotte, NC on May 15, 1937. John, a conservative child that did not get into any trouble, was the oldest of four siblings, James, Larry, and Rochelle.
When John was 12 yrs. old the family relocated to Brooklyn NY, and he figured out quickly how to survive, and graduated from Brooklyn HS for Automotive Trade. In 1954, John smoked his first and only joint before joining the U.S. Army at 17 yrs. and completed boot camp in Fort Dix, NJ and Fort Knox, KY before being sent to Germany for 2 ½ years.
John was discharged from the army after 3 yrs. and in 1958 convinced by his brother to join the Navy and was sent to Chicago for modified boot camp. Assigned to shore duty in Orange, TX John and his then wife, the former Louise Whiting, welcomed the birth of their first child Renea Michelle. John was assigned to the USS Alligash out of Newport RI, touring South America, the Mediterranean and Cuba during the Cuban uprising, and then to Chicago Diesel Engine Training School. John was assigned to the USS Monarch and relocated the family to Charleston SC where he and Louise welcomed a son Mark Christopher.
In 1965, while on shore duty in Key West FL John married the former Norma Seales, also acquiring stepchildren Margot, Reginald, and Edina. In 1966 John was sent to Viet Nam during the war on board a YFU supply boat going up and down the ‘Cow-Vet’ and ‘Perfume’ Rivers, returned home safely in 1967 and was assigned to the USS Isle Royale in Long Beach, CA. In 1969 John was transferred to the USS England, a guided missile cruiser, for a couple of years before the ship was decommissioned which led to a transfer to Newport, RI for a second time, assigned to the USS Puget Sound and the USS Dash Mine Sweeper ships. John would say the hardest part about Military life was being away from family while at sea for months at a time.
After completing shore duty in Corpus Christ, TX, John retired from the US Military in 1975 with 22 years of service and the rank of Chief Petty Officer E7 and began employment with the Hartford Insurance Company as a Boiler Inspector in Houston, TX. John retired a second time from Hartford Insurance in 1995 and began living on the road with Norma traveling from state to state in a 5th wheel travel-trailer for many years until Norma became ill and later passed away San Antonio, TX.
John’s family relocated him to Houston, TX where he married the former Theresa Guillory in June 2009, acquiring additional stepchildren Barbara, Patricia, Patrick, Shirley, Rossi, Michael, and their families, and also learned how to Zydeco.
John has lived in many cities across the US, traveled to several ports and other places such as Hawaii, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, the Rock of Gibraltar in Spain, Vienna Austria, and Mexico. John’s favorite Aunt Naomi lived in Charlotte, NC where he visited often, she lived to be 102. His hobbies included working on cars, camping, fishing, fixing anything that broke and Wild Turkey Bourbon!
John is preceded in death by his parents, brothers James Price and Larry Price and stepdaughter Barbara Williams. John leaves to cherish his memory his wife of over 15 years, Theresa Price, sister Rochelle Snyder, daughter Renea Taylor, son Mark Price, step-children Margot Curry, Reginald Alston, Edina Bell, Patricia Guillory (Carrie), Patrick Guillory (Summer), Shirley Gilliam (Kevin), Michael Guillory (Lois), Rossi Guillory, a host of grand, great, and great-great grand-children, as well as nieces and nephews.
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