Edward Geoffrey "Geoff" Price

Edward Geoffrey “Geoff” Price, 86, died on Friday, July 6, 2012, in Tallahassee, at Big Bend Hospice House. Born in Halesowen, Worcestershire, England, on April 1, 1926, to Edward Price and Eliza Hipkiss Price, Geoff graduated from Halesowen Grammar School, and then entered St. Edmund Hall, Oxford University, in England. He served in the British Army, Worcestershire Regiment, from 1945 to 1948, serving primarily in the Middle East and Cyprus from 1946-1948, ending with the rank of Captain. During his time in Cyprus, he commanded a specialized camp staff of other officers and 45 other ranks, eventually taking on the position of Adjutant of a group of camp staffs of some 35 officers and 300 other ranks, ministering to the needs of about 25,000 Jewish immigrants making their way to Palestine (Israel) from displaced persons camps in Europe after 1945. After the war, Geoff returned to St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he received a BA (1950) in French language and literature, and MA (1951), both with honors, and a Diploma of Education (1951). During his undergraduate time, he lived for nearly a year in the Tours, France, area, in order to hone his language skills. Since he spent a great deal of time in France both in professional and holiday pursuits, he considered himself to be a “near-native speaker” of the language. Geoff valued his participation in sports and played both rugby football and cricket at school, in the Army, and at university and club level. He captained his college (St. Edmund Hall, Oxford) at both sports. He represented the Army and Combined Services, Middle East, at rugby, a Birmingham (England) League XI at cricket, and occasionally Oxford University at both via the Oxford University Greyhounds XV and Authentics cricket XI. After graduation from Oxford, Geoff’s career was spent in education, ending with his position as Headmaster of Chesterfield School in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, where he served from 1968 to his retirement in 1991. Chesterfield School, founded in 1594, had 850 boys during his tenure. Geoff felt that travel enriched his outlook, and as Headmaster of Chesterfield School, forged links with schools in Orange Park and Tallahassee, Florida (Maclay in Tallahassee) through soccer competitions. He also forged academic links with schools in France and Germany, which allowed him to study in some depth their educational systems. That love for travel continued into his retirement and life in the United States. After the death of his wife of 40 years, Jean Townsend Price, in 1993, Geoff met and married Mary Anne Johnson McMullen, now Price, and moved to Tallahassee, where he has lived for the past 17 years. Geoff is survived by his wife, Mary Anne Price, of Tallahassee, Florida; his daughters Wendy Kelly, of Neston, Cheshire, England, and Sara Atkinson (husband, Dave), of Old Tupton, Derbyshire, England; and his grandchildren: Jennifer and Andrew Kelly, and Matthew, Katie, and Lucy Atkinson, all of England. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice, Tallahassee, Florida, or to Americans for Oxford, 500 Fifth Ave., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10110; checks should reference that the contributions are for St. Edmund Hall. A celebration of Geoff Price’s life will be held at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Tallahassee, 2810 N. Meridian Rd, 32312, on Thursday, July 12, at 4:30 PM.

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Edward Geoffrey "Geoff" Price

April 1, 1926 - July 6, 2012