Robert B. Price

Robert B. Price

1942—2025

On July 27, 2025, we lost a very special man in Robert Byron Price (Bob—but Bobby to his family) after a sudden cardiac event. He was born at home in East Carondelet, IL, on December 10, 1942. Family lore has it that his first bed was a dresser drawer. He graduated from Cahokia High School in 1960. He worked at a few jobs and then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1963. In 1964, he made one of his best decisions and married Mary Sorensen of East St. Louis, IL. In 1967, he declined Uncle Sam’s offer to re-enlist. In 1968, he began working in customer service for the Missouri Pacific Railroad (later renamed as Union Pacific) and worked his way up to being a “company man.”

He retired in 1999, but, not satisfied with living a life of leisure, and because of the great joy he found in helping others and fixing things, he taught himself (with lots of help from his sister, Kelli) to repair computers—an activity that gave him great pleasure to the end. Before computers, he could be found working on cars, or painting cars, or washing and waxing cars. (In the week before his daughter’s wedding, his contribution to the pre-wedding chaos was to wash and/or wax the vehicles of any visitors to the Price house.) He was quite the skilled electrician and did all the wiring for the houses he had built in 1973 and 1989. He was also proficient with plumbing. And he generously shared his gifts with everyone around him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert E. (Bob) and Pairlee “Penny” (Owen) Price.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary (Sorensen), with whom he would have celebrated their 61st anniversary on August 29. He is also survived by their three children, Lisa (Douglas) Bushey, Jeffrey (Michelle) Price, and Andrew (Lyree) Price. He especially doted on his five grandchildren, Elizabeth, Timothy, Ash, Bobby, and Max. In addition, he is survived by his siblings, Dennie (Sharon) Price and Kelli (Ernest) Love, and four nephews, Matthew, Jason, Pierce, and Drake. As a man who never met a stranger, he leaves behind a multitude of friends.

The funeral service will be held at St. Cecilia Church, 155 N. Main St., Glen Carbon, IL, on Tuesday, August 5, at 10:00 a.m., followed by a burial service at 1:00 p.m. at Lakeview Memorial Gardens, 5000 N. Illinois St., Fairview Heights, IL.

We thank all our friends and family who have offered their love, prayers, and support during this difficult time.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Robert B. Price, please visit our floral store.