Obituary for John Wilson Price
John Wilson Price departed this life on August 5, 2021 in Houston TX. He was ready for this journey and had done his best to prepare anyone who would listen to his reminder GOD LOVES YOU. He made the most of his 82 years, leaving a legacy of love, friendship, and accomplishment. John is survived by his wife of 55 years, the former Arlene Bruchmiller, who appreciated his sense of humor and never balked at the responsibilities of a man devoted to his profession. He is also survived by his son Robert Price with his wife Pansy and their children Alexander, Geoffrey, Kate, Mina, and Sawyer, by his son Rick Price and his son William, and by his daughter Catherine Beebe with her husband Mark and their children Helen and Lucy.
John was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on November 24, 1938, to Evelyn Tyson Wilson and Dr. William Armstrong Price. He graduated from St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, in 1957, and from the University of Texas (Plan II) in 1961. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia in 1964 and was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1965. He served at Trinity Episcopal and St. Mark’s Episcopal churches in San Antonio, Texas. On Sunday evenings John hosted a radio program called “Theological and Religious Patterns in Sacred Music on San Antonio’s only FM station. He joined the Texas Army National Guard and did military service simultaneously with parish work for 30 years, retiring as State Area Command Chaplain, Colonel, 1995.
John served as Rector at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas, for 20 years (1968-88) and was active in numerous other diocesan projects. He was on its Building Committee for Camp Allen, a new Diocesan Camp and Conference Center. Over the years, he carved three crosses for the new camp identical to the cross that washed away from the original Camp Allen in Baytown in the 1938 hurricane. He directed a particularly memorable STARS WARS camp. Before any camp session, he patrolled the grounds with a machete and dispatched a total of 64 copperhead snakes over the years. He helped launch the Cursillo movement in the diocese of Texas, Cursillo #1 in January of 1980. He continued to develop his own spirituality and spent six weeks at Pecos Benedictine Monastery, NM at their School for Spiritual Directors. Following this experience, he led retreats encouraging lay people to pursue spiritual development.
During the years at St George’s, he participated in two parish exchanges, one with St. Mary’s, Hanwell, London, UK, 1975-76 and the other with St. Andrew’s, Chapala, MX, July 1986. In 1984, he secured a HUD grant and founded St. George’s Court in Austin, a 60-unit apartment community for low income seniors and the disabled. As John had opportunities, he held the door open for others. He hired the first woman priest in Austin who served part-time at St George’s and as chaplain to St George’s Court. He provided counseling to the Gay community and welcomed their members as an active and open part of St George’s.
From 1988 to 1996, John served as rector of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Spring, Texas. During this time, he worked with lay and clergy to develop a diocesan program to train spiritual directors. This program became FIND: Focus in Direction where John was the primary lecturer on The Psychology of Spirituality and its components. Twenty-three years later, he taught his final class in June 2021.
After 32 years in parish ministry, John was ready to use his gifts in a different direction. While serving as a hospital chaplain at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the Texas Medical Center ministering to patients on the transplant floor, he found that niche. He began collecting accounts of those who had near death experiences (NDE) while clinically dead and combined many of these accounts into his book revealing HEAVEN, published by Harper Collins in 2013. The book and recordings of his associated lectures are proudly shared by friends, family and other readers with those in need of comfort as they face death. His family and friends politely requested that he stop “researching” this material with such depth after a NDE of his own two years ago. Everyone who loves John has cherished these bonus days with him.
In retirement, John readily found other ways to pursue his calling. He assisted with services at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church and served as Chaplain to Palmer Boy Scout Troops 511 and 1511 (a new BSA troop for girls). He was awarded the St George’s Award of the Episcopal Church and the Inclusive Scouting Award. Aware of his military and hospital background, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recruited him as Chaplain, where he was “paid” in shooting range time with agents and held his own against them for the next 16 years. After getting his Captain’s license, John had time to expand his love of sailing from inland lakes to charter sailing in the US & British islands and the Adriatic. Always the storyteller, he injected humor every opportunity he had, being partial to puns, “the highest form of humor.”
The funeral will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2021, at 10:00 am in Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. Due to strengthened protocols in the midst of the current COVID-19 surge in Houston, the vast majority of people will need to watch a livestream rather than attend in person. Details about how to watch the livestream of the service may be found at http://palmerchurch.org/live as well as a bulletin you can download. Donations may be made in John's memory to the Endowment Fund of Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, to Camp Allen Scholarship Fund (18800 FM 362, Navasota TX 77868), or to a charity of your choice.
John was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on November 24, 1938, to Evelyn Tyson Wilson and Dr. William Armstrong Price. He graduated from St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, in 1957, and from the University of Texas (Plan II) in 1961. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia in 1964 and was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1965. He served at Trinity Episcopal and St. Mark’s Episcopal churches in San Antonio, Texas. On Sunday evenings John hosted a radio program called “Theological and Religious Patterns in Sacred Music on San Antonio’s only FM station. He joined the Texas Army National Guard and did military service simultaneously with parish work for 30 years, retiring as State Area Command Chaplain, Colonel, 1995.
John served as Rector at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas, for 20 years (1968-88) and was active in numerous other diocesan projects. He was on its Building Committee for Camp Allen, a new Diocesan Camp and Conference Center. Over the years, he carved three crosses for the new camp identical to the cross that washed away from the original Camp Allen in Baytown in the 1938 hurricane. He directed a particularly memorable STARS WARS camp. Before any camp session, he patrolled the grounds with a machete and dispatched a total of 64 copperhead snakes over the years. He helped launch the Cursillo movement in the diocese of Texas, Cursillo #1 in January of 1980. He continued to develop his own spirituality and spent six weeks at Pecos Benedictine Monastery, NM at their School for Spiritual Directors. Following this experience, he led retreats encouraging lay people to pursue spiritual development.
During the years at St George’s, he participated in two parish exchanges, one with St. Mary’s, Hanwell, London, UK, 1975-76 and the other with St. Andrew’s, Chapala, MX, July 1986. In 1984, he secured a HUD grant and founded St. George’s Court in Austin, a 60-unit apartment community for low income seniors and the disabled. As John had opportunities, he held the door open for others. He hired the first woman priest in Austin who served part-time at St George’s and as chaplain to St George’s Court. He provided counseling to the Gay community and welcomed their members as an active and open part of St George’s.
From 1988 to 1996, John served as rector of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Spring, Texas. During this time, he worked with lay and clergy to develop a diocesan program to train spiritual directors. This program became FIND: Focus in Direction where John was the primary lecturer on The Psychology of Spirituality and its components. Twenty-three years later, he taught his final class in June 2021.
After 32 years in parish ministry, John was ready to use his gifts in a different direction. While serving as a hospital chaplain at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the Texas Medical Center ministering to patients on the transplant floor, he found that niche. He began collecting accounts of those who had near death experiences (NDE) while clinically dead and combined many of these accounts into his book revealing HEAVEN, published by Harper Collins in 2013. The book and recordings of his associated lectures are proudly shared by friends, family and other readers with those in need of comfort as they face death. His family and friends politely requested that he stop “researching” this material with such depth after a NDE of his own two years ago. Everyone who loves John has cherished these bonus days with him.
In retirement, John readily found other ways to pursue his calling. He assisted with services at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church and served as Chaplain to Palmer Boy Scout Troops 511 and 1511 (a new BSA troop for girls). He was awarded the St George’s Award of the Episcopal Church and the Inclusive Scouting Award. Aware of his military and hospital background, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recruited him as Chaplain, where he was “paid” in shooting range time with agents and held his own against them for the next 16 years. After getting his Captain’s license, John had time to expand his love of sailing from inland lakes to charter sailing in the US & British islands and the Adriatic. Always the storyteller, he injected humor every opportunity he had, being partial to puns, “the highest form of humor.”
The funeral will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2021, at 10:00 am in Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. Due to strengthened protocols in the midst of the current COVID-19 surge in Houston, the vast majority of people will need to watch a livestream rather than attend in person. Details about how to watch the livestream of the service may be found at http://palmerchurch.org/live as well as a bulletin you can download. Donations may be made in John's memory to the Endowment Fund of Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, to Camp Allen Scholarship Fund (18800 FM 362, Navasota TX 77868), or to a charity of your choice.