Laurance Price Obituary

Loving husband, father and grandfather, pathologist, and longtime Lawrence resident Bud Price (Dr. Laurance Wallace Price Jr., MD) died May 28th, 2024, just shy of his 91st birthday.

Although born in Missouri in 1933, Bud was a Kansas man. He was raised in Columbus, Kansas, the son of Bud Sr. and Louise Price (Covey). The middle of three sons, he grew up a peacemaker. A strong student and active athlete, he lettered in football, basketball and track for the Titans.

Bud's time at the University of Kansas set the rest of his life in motion. He met Eula Johanna (Jo) Houlton, on a blind date set up by Ned and Mary Wilson. (Despite Jo not being the girl he expected, it worked out swell.) Many Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers became lifelong friends, including annual hunting trips with Innes Phillips and other Betas. He became a Jayhawk for life when he graduated with a BS in Economics in 1955.

Bud and Jo got hitched in 1956. Bud started medical school while Jo taught grade school. Three years later Bud graduated KU med and the traveling commenced! First an internship at UT Galveston, then pathology residency at Portland's University of Oregon Hospital.

Bud joined the Army in 1961. He was stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and then Tripler Army Hospital in Hawaii. Now with two children, the family lived just off Palm Circle with a banana tree in the front yard, and Bud drove an Isetta before good gas mileage was cool. Next a year in Maryland at Walter Reed Hospital and then off to Sagamihara Hospital in Japan.

In 1968, after a dozen homes in nine years, Bud, Jo and now 3 children left the Army and returned to Kansas. Lawrence was home for the next 50+ years, 40 of them in the house on Orchard Lane. He joined fellow pathologist Dr. Alan Sanders to cofound the Lawrence Clinical Lab. Dr. Carol Moddrell joined their partnership later; Bud was always grateful for his partners and the lab team. He was a Douglas County Coroner and a pathologist at Stormont Vail Hospital. He was LMH chief of staff in the early 70s and a Fellow in the College of American Pathologists.

But it wasn't all about work. Bud and Jo made close friends in their Shakespeare social group started by Ann Reed in the 70s. A big Jayhawk sports fan, he regularly attended KU sporting events. He learned new things throughout his life, from the latest in pathology science to yoga. He enjoyed music, played a little guitar, and sang in the Unitarian choir. Never feeling the need for self-indulgence, he eschewed expensive running shoes, shampoos, and hair salons.

The last years weren't as kind. As the fog of dementia settled in, Bud and Jo moved to Village Shalom in Overland Park for additional support and to be close to Erika. Bud is survived by his wife, Johanna Price; children Laura Price Coplan (James) of Glencoe, Illinois, Ben Price (Nancy Buffington) of Boise, Idaho, and Erika Price Beal of Overland Park; nine grandchildren (three from each kid); and a brother, Robert Price, PhD, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother William Price. Memorial donations may be made to LMH Health Foundation.