Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval  Watch |  Listen

Former Mountaineer lived a full life

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Curtis Price, who touched many lives with his basketball prowess, musical talent and mentoring skills, died Thursday of cancer. He was 63.  

Curtis Price, shown here in his days at Charleston High School, was a Street and Smith All-American in his senior year.

Price and his Charleston High School teammates won 48 straight basketball games in the late 1960s, including a Class AAA state title in 1968. From there, Price went on to WVU where he played for four years and graduated with a degree in education. Price then became the youngest college coach in the county when he took over at West Virginia State at age 21.

Five years later Price took a job in the gubernatorial administration of Jay Rockefeller as director of affirmative action. Price took a position with the Job Corps in 1986 and mentored young people in 10 different cities until returning to Charleston with the Job Corps last year.

Price’s wife of 39 years, Judy, said one of her husband’s greatest impacts was with Job Corps.

“He loved speaking positive things to those kids who other people gave up on,” she told MetroNews Thursday. “He became a father figure to many of them.”

Price began to catch the eye of Charleston sports fans when he starred at Thomas Jefferson Junior High in the mid-1960s. Before long he was a member of legendary Lou Romano’s Charleston High teams. He was named a Street & Smith All-American during his senior year. A knee injury suffered in that championship senior season limited his productivity in his four years at West Virginia but his wife says his main goal was to get a degree.

“He just had that persona about him where people would migrate towards him. I couldn’t remember anybody who didn’t like Curt Price.” — Price’s cousin and former bandmate Simi Fryson

Price was also an accomplished musician. His cousin and friend Simi Fryson said he played the guitar, piano, drums, saxophone, trombone and bass guitar. They were in a band together called the Tiki Turbans in the late 1960s and cut a record called “Ants in Your Pants.”

“I can remember when we cut that record we were at the home of his mother and father and everybody was jumping for joy that we had, for the first time, cut a record and had our music on wax,” Fryson recalled Thursday.

Price went on to play in other bands and traveled across the country during his college summers.

Fryson said it’s difficult to describe what Price meant to so many.

“He just had that persona about him where people would migrate towards him. I couldn’t remember anybody who didn’t like Curt Price,” he said.

Fryson says when Price found out he had cancer he intended to beat it.

“He told me, ‘Sim, I’m going to fight this thing,'” Fryson remembered. “And he had a courageous battle, but during that whole period of time he handled it in the right way.”

His wife Judy paid him the biggest compliment.

“He was just an awesome, humble man who loved life bigger than anything. He put so much out there and received so much,” she said.

Price also leaves behind two daughters and grandchildren.





More News

News
Governor signs bill phasing out state taxes on Social Security and receives praise
The phase-out would mean a 35% cut retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024; 65% in 2025 and 100% in 2026.
March 28, 2024 - 11:46 am
News
West Virginia Parkways Authority prepares for Easter travelers on the Turnpike
More than 500,000 transactions are projected at the West Virginia Turnpike through Monday.
March 28, 2024 - 11:30 am
News
Governor vetoes vaccination exemption bill, and now that debate is primed to get even bigger
House Bill 5105 would have removed vaccination requirements for students in virtual public schools, and it also would have allowed private and parochial schools to set their own standards.
March 28, 2024 - 11:14 am
News
Lottery reports $50,000 Powerball ticket sold in Charleston
Four numbers and Power Ball matched.
March 28, 2024 - 10:24 am


Your Comments