The Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Price, 67, of Williamsburg, died peacefully at home under Hospice care on May 21, 2014 after a brave battle with cancer for almost two years. On the third day, his soul was returned to God.
Geoffrey Masefield Price was born on Dec. 11, 1946 in Youngstown, Ohio to Howard Randall Price and Gertrude Jane Oliver. After surviving polio as a child, he graduated from South High School in 1965. He spent time at the University of London studying history and political science, then obtained his bachelor’s degree in history from Youngstown State University in 1970, followed by a brief teaching career in the Ohio public schools.
Dr. Price had a passion for education and obtained a variety of degrees and certificates. He had a degree in liturgy and was a graduate of The Royal Naval Chaplains Introduction Program, both at Sarum and Wells in Salisbury, England. He also spent a summer at St. George’s College, Jerusalem gaining a certificate in Holy Land studies and geography. He later taught courses at St. George’s. He continued his higher education at Virginia Theological Seminary, from which he earned both a Master’s in Divinity and a Doctorate in Pastoral Theology. He taught liturgy at VTS for more than 30 years.
He was ordained to the deaconate in 1974 at Trinity Cathedral in Ohio and was ordained priest in April of 1975. He started his ministry career with St. Paul’s, Maumee, Ohio. He returned to Virginia in 1978 to St. Andrews, Arlington as an Associate Rector, followed by service at St. James, Bowie, Md., and Epiphany Church, in Washington, D.C. He served as Rector of St. Paul’s, Rock Creek Parish, for 15 years before retiring from full-time ministry in 2002.
In 1988 his life was deeply enriched by the adoption of two biological sisters from Korea, and also in 1995 by his marriage to the Rev. Dr. Kathleen Farmer Vermillion.
In 2002 he began a second career in interim ministry, serving in Virginia at St. Peter’s, New Kent, Abingdon Church in Gloucester and Leeds Parish in Markham. He ended 40 years of ministry at All Faith Parish in Huntersville, Md.
He is a part of a large extended family filled with many happy memories. Geoff always had a love of the outdoors and his love continued until the end of his life as he remained active in the National Eagle Scout Association, the National Rifle Association, as well as being a member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary as a District Staff Officer.
He and his wife enjoyed traveling with several trips to Europe including a summer in France, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Iona on a sabbatical sponsored by the Eli Lily Foundation and a sabbatical that included a drive across the United States to historic Christ Church in Hope, British Columbia—visiting 13 National Parks along the way.
He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; his daughters, Holly Nunnally-Price and Anna (David) Ross, each working in Northern Virginia; step-daughter, Meredith (Leverett) Lunceford, and two grandchildren, Chamberlain and Hunter Lunceford of Williamsburg, Va. He is also survived by his brother, Jonathan (Mary) of Bowling Green, Ohio; niece, Sarah Simpson Price, a teacher in Denver, Colo.; a nephew, Jake Price, a registered nurse in Columbus, Ohio, and his mother, Gertrude Oliver Price, also of Bowling Green, Ohio (looking forward to her 100th birthday in June!). He also leaves to his family’s care his constant canine companions, Deacon Phoebe and Miss Lydia Joy.
The burial office will be at Abingdon Church, 4625 George Washington Memorial Highway, Gloucester, on Saturday, June 28, at 1 p.m. with interment following in the church yard. The Rt. Rev. David Jones, retired suffragan bishop of Virginia, will be the celebrant with the Rev. Sven vanBaars, rector of Abingdon Church; the Rev. Dr. Philip Cato will be the preacher; Gary Davison, guest organist, previously at St. Paul’s, Rock Creek, now at St. Francis, Potomac, Md.; Sarah Nelson, guest soloist, All Saints Church, Oakley.
In memory of the Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Price, donations may be made to Abingdon Church, P.O. Box 82, White Marsh, Va. 23183, or to All Saints Church, Oakley Parish, P.O. Box 306, Avenue, Md. 22609 (where Kathleen has been Rector for 15½ years).
Arrangements by Hogg Funeral Home and Crematory, Gloucester Point.