Henry Clay Price Jr. (Hank) 86, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2015. Funeral services are scheduled for 12:00PM, Friday, March 6, 2015 in the chapel of Darby funeral home in Canton, Georgia with interment to follow at 2:00PM at the Georgia National Cemetery with full Air Force Military Honors. Visiting hours will begin Thursday, March 5, 2015 from 2:00PM until 6:00PM at Darby Funeral Home Canton.
Dad was born in Onton, KY to Henry Clay and Lilly Mae Price Sr. where they both worked as teachers. After Lilly Mae's passing Granddad married Ms. Sarah Branson where they both continued, in Onton, as teachers. Dad always referred to Onton as his "Camelot, no better place to grow up being in a small town near the Green River".
In 1944, Dad went to Bowling Green, KY where got a room at one of the professor's home, drove a taxi and attended Western Kentucky State University. During that time he met and fell in love with Ms. Mary Alice Owen of Bowling Green, KY.
Dad joined the Air Force and went on active duty September 30, 1949 in Enid, OK. Mom and Dad were married June 30, 1949 at the base where he was stationed prior to him going on active duty. Dad was a pilot during the Korean Conflict and during that time he was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and a Presidential Unit Citation. These honors were a surprise to our family as he would never talk about the war. During this time his wife Mary, who was in the Red Cross, flew with him at times tending to the wounded that he was flying them out of the combat zone.
After leaving the Air Force Dad moved the family to Hapeville, GA where he flew for two years for Eastern Airlines out of the old Hartsfield Airport. In 1956 Dad left Eastern and went to work with Lockheed in Marietta, GA as a test pilot. Moving the family again in 1958 to Marietta, Dad continued flying for Lockheed till 1987 when he retired after 31 years.
Dad's favorite things were his family, the "church family" at Powers Ferry United Methodist Church, singing in the choir, sitting on the "rock" in the Chattahoochee River behind the Hellendorf Inn in Helen, GA, arguing politics and telling his kids to "do your best, it's all a mule can do and the angels can do no better".
Mr. Price is survived by his son; Henry (Clay) Price III (Cathy) of Marietta, GA; daughter Rosemary Harbin (David) of Kennesaw, GA; brothers Joel Price, FL; Dwayne Price, CA; Brent Price, FL and sister Rena Price, FL.; three grandchildren; Holly (Josh) Covett; Henry (Hank) Clay Price IV (Lee); and Zachary Harbin. Also two great grandchildren Will and Andi Covett.
Mr. Price was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Mrs. Mary Alice Owen Price.