Clarence Patton "Pat" Price

Clarence P. “Pat” Price passed away in Austell on Monday, 20 May 2013. He was 89. Mr. Price is survived by his wife of 66 years, Betty Price, sons David of Powder Springs, Steve of Auburn, and Dennis of Lawrenceville, as well as three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He also leaves several cousins, nieces and nephews. Mr. Price was one of three children, all born in Virginia. His older brother Lew preceded him in death but Mr. Price’s sister Connie, aged 90 is living in Miami, FL. Pat Price and his family moved to Miami, Florida when he was a child. He and his brother Lew spent many hours fishing, swimming and diving. He graduated from Miami High School and left to attend University of Florida. At the university, Pat enrolled in Army Artillery ROTC primarily to be able to ride horses. He developed a love for cowboy movies and became an excellent rider. He began collegiate boxing and other sports. When WW II broke out, he enlisted in the Army where he was placed in XIX Corps artillery. The army learned of his skill as a boxer and he travelled around the country competing in numerous matches, where he earned many awards. When his unit was shipped overseas, he went ashore with the Normandy invasion of June 1944. He and his unit distinguished themselves during the liberation of France, Belgium, and the Low Countries as well as the Battle of the Bulge where they won the Presidential Unit Citation. After the war, he returned to Miami where he attended University of Miami to major in journalism. His love of the classics, including literature and poetry enabled him to excel in college and he was invited to join Sigma Chi fraternity. Following graduation, he took a job with the Associated Press as a wirephoto operator in the Miami bureau. Because of his expertise, he often travelled to support major news events including the space shots at Cape Canaveral, NASA Apollo moon landing at the Houston, Texas headquarters, the famous Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and many others. Soon after joining the AP, Pat met Betty, who became his wife and their family grew over the years with three children. In 1966, Pat and his family all moved to Atlanta which became their home. Pat retired from the AP in 1976 but continued his journalism career as a consultant. After retirement, he met many friends in the Stone Mountain area and they introduced him to deer hunting. Pat was an avid hunter and was usually accompanied by his sons. As their hunting enthusiasm grew, he bought a camping trailer and afterwards their trips included both sons and Betty. Pat began working part time at the Stone Mountain Memorial Park. He became the manager of the Antebellum Plantation where he supervised two dozen employees and was responsible for the financial operation of this busy attraction. The Plantation was visited by numerous celebrities, including his cowboy heroes Claude Akins and James Arness of “Gunsmoke.” Pat retired from Stone Mountain Park in 1993. Pat and Betty joined the First Baptist Church of Stone Mountain and as his already strong faith grew, he was asked to become a deacon. While at Stone Mountain, Pat and Betty became active in many bowling leagues and won numerous trophies. Coincidentally, most of the bowlers were in the local AARP chapter and invited Pat and Betty to join. Pat soon became President of the local chapter and led the group on frequent trips, outings, and even ocean cruises. In 2006, Pat and Betty moved to Powder Springs in order to be closer to their son and his family. Here, they continued to enjoy visits with family and friends, and the frequent visits to Cobb’s libraries—which were well stocked with large print western novels and movies. Pat was well loved by his family and countless friends Stone Mountain and Powder Springs where his constant smile and cowboy hat will long be remembered. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001, 1-866-232-8484, www.alzfdn.org, or to Jennifer's Pet Rescue at jenniferspetrescue.com.

Clarence Patton "Pat" Price

November 14, 1923 - May 20, 2013