FRANK HARRIS PRICE Jr. PRICE, JR., FRANK HARRIS of Bear, Delaware, died October 25 at the age of 62, after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for nearly four years by trying to live as much as he could each day. Born in Warrington, England, to an U.S. Air Force sergeant and his English wife, Florence, Frank spent his childhood moving every few years, living in the western U.S. and England. In 1962, when he was 12, his mother died in Missouri from an asthma attack and his father moved the family to Prattville, Ala., to be close to relatives. Frank graduated from Autauga County High School and enrolled at Livingston University (now the University of Western Alabama), where he discovered a lifelong love of history and science, to which he eventually would devote thousands of hours of reading. He transferred to the University of Alabama, where he graduated in 1973 with a degree in broadcast journalism, a puzzlement to the people who knew his quiet personality. After working as an ad salesman and on-air personality at Montgomery, Ala. radio stations, he found his true calling as a newspaper copy editor. It was a job he loved because of its immediacy, companionship of like minds and ability to incorporate his knowledge of history and science. He worked as a copy editor at The Montgomery Advertiser in Montgomery, Ala., The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, Fla., The Birmingham News in Birmingham, Ala., and The News Journal in Delaware. He was a huge fan of Manchester United, mostly because his beloved English cousin Pete Boardman insisted and despite the fact that his turncoat brother pulls for Liverpool. He also was a huge fan of any University of Alabama team and a huge hater of any of the teams of archrival Auburn University. That did not, however, stop him from marrying a woman who was born at Auburn and graduated from there and therefore enduring 20 years of torture from her Auburn-loving family. He really liked the Atlanta Braves, but had no use at all for any professional football team. He gloried in being a father to his son, Jack, and his consuming avocation was coaching his son's soccer, basketball and baseball teams. He read books about coaching as well as biographies of players and coaches, watched DVDs and videotapes, joined online communities to talk and read about it, and took classes to be the best coach he could be. The team he loved most was the Kirkwood Soccer Club Hurricanes in Delaware. Even after illness forced him to resign, he avidly followed the careers of the players in high school and elsewhere, and was greatly cheered and comforted by their visits and calls. He is survived by his wife, Betsy; son, Jack; brother, Adrian Price of Tuscaloosa, Ala.; sister, Jean Baillie of Kenilwood, England; aunt, Jackie Price of Deatsville, Ala.; cousins on both sides of the Atlantic; and 15 nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 12 at 2 p.m. At St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, 3375 Crosshaven Rd, the Rev. Jamie McAdams officiating. A reception will follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Kevin Turner Foundation, 3171 Green Valley Road, Suite 526, Birmingham, AL 35243. Kevin, who is also from Prattville, Ala., was a University of Alabama and Philadelphia Eagles player who has ALS, too, and who wrote Frank an encouraging and inspirational note at a particularly dark moment. Turner is trying to raise awareness of ALS, particularly as it relates to sports injuries like concussions. www.mealeyfuneralhomes.com (800) 608-3533
1 Replies
526 Views