Zen and the art of being Jack PriceDecember 6th, 2006
My November 29th, 2006 Westminster Eagle column was about a gentleman in my life who, among many, was extraordinarily important to me growing up in Carroll County - - Jack Price.
Mr. Price passed away on November 15th, 2006.
I have a previous post about Mr. Price on Soundtrack here: “20061125 Jack Price Feb. 2, 1920 to Nov. 15, 2006 is going home.”
This is the long version of my column of Mr. Price which appeared in the Westminster Eagle on November 29, 2006.
Zen and the art of being Jack Price
November 29, 2006 By Kevin Dayhoff (long version)
On November 15, Carroll County and the agriculture community lost a great friend and community leader, Jack Price.
After God made Jack Price, the mold was broken and there will never be anyone like Mr. Price.
Mr. Price was a nationally recognized breeder of Hampshire sheep, a gifted horticulturalist and a dedicated church member.
Last Saturday, several hundred friends, loved ones, and colleagues got together at the Westminster United Methodist Church for services officiated by Rev. Dave Highfield and Rev. Ira Zepp.
Folks from all over the east coast converged on Westminster to pay homage to a man whom Rev. Zepp described as “lovable, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, independent, free-thinking, soft-hearted and very bright in mind and soul.”
Local farmer Andy Cashman observed that for a gentleman who passed away at 86 with no family; it was a fitting tribute that hundreds turned out for his memorial service. “Jack was a great supporter of 4-H and helped a lot of kids get started in 4-H.”
Carroll County sheep breeder Becky Lynch agreed, remarking “he was a friend to many generations.” As with Mr. Cashman and his sons; Mr. Price helped Ms. Lynch get started raising sheep. “Jack was always a world of wisdom and (constructively criticized) in such a manner that it showed that he genuinely cared,” said Ms. Lynch.
(I understand that all too well, for you see, I was one of those “kids” in the mid 1960s. Mr. Price went out of his way to help me with my public-speaking, photography and rabbit projects. Later in 1974, when I began my landscaping business, Mr. Price was a great cheerleader, wise counsel and an unabashed supporter.)
For those in our community who did not have the fortune to know Mr. Price, he was born in North Carolina on February 2, 1920. He was the son of the late Rev. Fred H. and Amy Helms Price. He graduated from Shelby High School in Shelby, North Carolina in 1936.
According to his obituary, Mr. Price “graduated from North Carolina State University in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural economics and a minor in animal husbandry.
Several folks remarked that he remained a die-hard North Carolina State Wolfpack basketball, football and baseball fan for the rest of his life. Although, according to Rev. Zepp, Mr. Price never understood soccer. Rev. Zepp relates that Jack once said, “I can’t stand soccer. Whoever heard of not using the hands God gave you to play a game…”
After college, he enlisted in the Navy Air Corps and served as a transport pilot during World War II.” “Following the war, he and his wife, (Ollie, relocated to Maryland) where he worked on livestock farms. In 1963, they settled (on a farm on Lemmon Road) in Westminster, where he developed a large flock of registered Hampshire sheep.”
Four decades of retired Carroll County Extension Service Directors attended the service: Bob Jones, Walt Bay and David Greene. Mr. Greene remarked that “Jack had a singleness of purpose,” and whatever he did, he did with “zeal and effort, a depth of understanding” and he excelled.
For the last seven years, Rev. Zepp and Mr. Price had breakfast together regularly.
Rev. Zepp said, “We were one of Westminster’s oddest couples, if not the oddest…once we got past the weather and (sports,) about which we usually agreed, we talked about the two taboo subjects everyone is supposed to avoid – religion and politics, about which we hardly ever agreed. And that was the thrill of it – disagreeing very agreeably…”
Rev. Zepp was intrigued that he “was a farmer’s son who became a preacher and Jack was a preacher’s son who became a farmer.”
Rev. Zepp was impressed with the way Mr. Price let God work through him in the “ordinariness” of life and thus, became an extraordinary man. “As you hear Jack’s voice, remember a statement by Jesus in Matthew 5:37, ‘Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No;’ anything more than this comes from evil.”
Rev. Zepp kept notes from attending Mr. Price’s breakfast Sunday School lessons. On the arbitrariness of life: “It’s not what you’re dealt, but how you deal with that. If the ball does not take a Jack Price bounce, it’s not God’s fault, but with God’s help, I’ll get over it.”
“Jack on the Second Coming of Jesus: Well, as I recall… Jesus didn’t talk much about it… so I’m not going to worry about it very much…”
Jack on the last book of the Bible: “What the hound is the Book of Revelation about? I make little sense of it and don’t know anyone who does.”
Jack on the tension between love and justice: “He knew instinctively that love is possible with persons and justice necessary for society.”
Rev. Zepp marveled that “in the last six months of his life, Jack confessed, ‘I have more questions now then when I was teaching a Bible class … almost 50 years ago.’
Rev. Zepp once asked Mr. Price, “How has your mind changed over the years? Jack replied, ‘Very slowly.”
Rev. Zepp relates that “Jack used to talk about ‘Pricer-izing, that is, there is the right way, the wrong way, and the ‘Price Way.’ I asked him, ‘How do you fit those three together?” He said, ‘I work at that, but not very successfully. I’m just an unconventional guy…”
Jack once commented on why he went to church. “My father had a deaf person in his congregation and asked the man once, ‘Why do you come to church, when you can’t hear a thing I say?’ The man replied, ‘… I want the world to know what side I’m on.’”
Rev. Zepp called to our attention peter Fonda’s remark to a farmer in the movie, “Easy Rider.” It must be great to do your own thing in your own time.”
Mr. Price, who is reported to have rode his motorcycle to church upon occasion, certainly did his own thing and in so doing touched a great many lives, left the planet a better place.
We could use a few more genuine folks like Mr. Price. We certainly could use more folks who can disagree with integrity, without being disagreeable, in Carroll County.
He was the Zen Master of “Let your ‘no’ be a ‘no’ and your ‘yes’ be your ‘yes.’” Mr. Price was never one to “lay down a smoke screen of pious talk.” We always knew which side he was on. He was the real deal. And that is why we loved him so. Mr. Price is going home. God bless him.
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