Billy Ray Price

ObituaryBilly (Bill) Ray Price lost his battle to cancer at the age of 86 on Aug. 2, 2016, surrounded by family at his home in Perry, Oklahoma.  Bill was born in Pawnee, Oklahoma in 1930 to Francis Omega (Oma) and Musa Faye (Bass) Price.  He grew up farming the land and grazing cattle on the Price homestead alongside older sister Frances Faye and younger brother Joseph Henry.  Bill married his high school sweetheart, Betty Ann Maggart, in 1951.  He then successfully completed his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture in 1959 from Oklahoma State University while simultaneously running his farming operation and starting a young family.  Bill and Betty Ann raised 4 children, Larry Ray, Gary Michael, Jimmy Wayne and Jane Ann.   Bill developed a strong work ethic and keen business sense from his father, Oma, and continued those skills with great success throughout all of his teaching and business careers.  He was a teacher at heart and had a knack for getting students to answer their own questions while asking many more questions back!  Bill started his teaching career in Vocational Agriculture and FFA in Tryon, Oklahoma, where he taught from 1960-64.  The family later moved to Morrison in 1967, where he taught for six more years.  The FFA boys made him very proud and brought him great joy in his teaching career, many with whom he maintained friendships throughout the rest of his life.  He loved to tell stories of some of the antics they would pull while out on field trips practicing for pasture and range judging contests.  He always managed to somehow get the last laugh! These adventures were some of his fondest memories that never failed to bring a big smile to his face and joyful laughter from his heart as he would recall the story.  Bill also was very proud of his record of having 10 consecutive winning International Pasture & Range Judging teams for every year he taught school in both Tryon and Morrison.  The town of Morrison honored Bill with a celebration of his accomplishments with Bill Price Appreciation Day in 1972.  With all of his teaching accolades and achievements, he was most proud to have coached each one of his children, on one of his winning teams during his 10-year teaching career.  After leaving teaching, he spent many years growing his cattle ranch business known as Bill Price Farms.  Following the death of his wife, Betty Ann, in 1986, he began a new career in real estate.  That same year he married Betty Lou (Ewy) and they embarked on a new life together managing what grew into a large holding of residential real estate properties in Perry, Oklahoma.  Bill loved square and ballroom dancing and he and Betty spent many a Saturday night in the Morrison Community Center gliding around the dance floor.  Bill always made time for the many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews in his life and enjoyed spending many holidays and family gatherings celebrating life with them.  Whether Bill was buying and selling cattle or real estate, he had a great knack and love for the challenge of working with numbers and using his keen insight to figure out what it would take to get a deal put together that would work for everybody.   Bill is survived by his wife Betty Lou (Ewy) Price; son Larry and his wife Elena; son Gary Price; son Jim Price and his wife Diana; daughter Jane Carter and her husband Ron, stepson Galen James and his wife Nancy; stepdaughter Donna Jones; 14 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren; and numerous nephews, nieces and friends.  He was predeceased by his first wife, Betty Ann Price (1986); stepson Dennis James (2014); grandson Justin Price (1989); father Oma Price (1982); mother Musa Price (1954); sister Frances Bruns (2007); and brother Joe Price (2015).  Services will be held Sat., Aug. 6, at 10 a.m. at Poteet Funeral Home (www.PoteetFuneralHome.com), 600 Illinois Avenue, Pawnee, Oklahoma.  Senior Adult Pastor Chan Ray and grandson Levi Jones will be officiating.  Pallbearers will be Larry Price, Gary Price, Jim Price, Michael Price, Jason Price and Craig Price.  Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery in Pawnee.  Call 918-762-2557 for further information.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Companion Hospice Foundation, 1314 E. Oklahoma, Guthrie, OK  73044.  (Make checks payable to Companion Hospice Foundation.)