STEPHEN S. PRICE

Stephen Sydney Price, 78 of Piqua, passed away Saturday, June 12, 2021 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born October 28, 1942 in Columbus to the late Sydney and Agnes “Irene” (Journell) Price.

Steve is survived by his wife of 32 years, Christine (Jacomet) Price; his daughters, Chelsi (Trevor) Stover, Lindsey (Bubba) Stover, and Britney (Brad) Ratermann; 11 grandchildren, Cade, Gabby, Halle, Reece, Garrett, Olivia, Tatum, Clint, Addie, Grant, and Hank; he also leaves behind his siblings, Linda LaFever, Greg (Linda) Price, Rachel (Ludwig) Kreitz, Faith (Gregg) Gugenheim, and Lisa (David) O’Dowd; also many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Steve attended Tipp City and Lemon Monroe High Schools. He graduated from Miami University in 1965 and dedicated his life to teaching and coaching. His love for competition and a generous winning spirit would lead to his induction into the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 2015. Along the way, he inspired many student athletes to go the extra mile to achieve their goals on and off the track. Steve began his career in physical education at Rolling Fields Elementary School in Kettering. In 1966, he founded the Kettering Striders track club, providing opportunities for girls and women to enjoy track and field at a time when school teams did not exist. Steve led the expansion of the Striders to include boys, high school students, post-collegiate and masters levels competition, as well as race walking. By the late 1970s, the Striders had become one of the largest track clubs in the nation as more than 150 families had at least one member competing for the team. Steve continued to shepherd the organization until 1983 when he went to the University of Dayton to establish and coach the men’s and women’s cross country teams. Coaching also enabled Steve to see the world. He coached the U.S. Sports Festival teams twice and International U.S. teams competing in Moscow, Russia and Dusseldorf, Germany. He was Head Coach for Cross Country for the Kingdom of Bahrain’s National Men’s team in 1983-84. When Steve returned to the U.S., he resumed teaching elementary school in Kettering. In 1989, Steve and family moved to Bowling Green, where he was Head Coach for Women’s Track and Cross Country at Bowling Green State University. Steve retired from BGSU in 1999, but not for long. He became athletic director at Sidney Lehman High School; later teaching and coaching there as well. From 2005 to 2015, he coached at the University of Findlay. Steve was also an accomplished pianist, a passion instilled by his mother, a piano teacher. He loved to entertain, sharing his musical talents with friends and family and at retirement communities and venues throughout Western Ohio. While teaching, coaching and performing were among his many pleasures, his greatest passion was reserved for his family. In 1985, he met Christine and her three beautiful daughters. They were the love of his life. Steve was one of those people about whom everyone had a good story. Those memories will always be cherished and never forgotten by family and many life-long friends with whom Steve shared his indomitable and joyful spirit.

In Steve’s everlasting spirit of giving and the importance of education, he has chosen to donate his body to the Wright State University Anatomical Program.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at St. Mary Catholic Church with Rev. Fr. Zachary Cecil as Celebrant. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Jamieson & Yannucci Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County, Inc., P.O. Box 502, Troy OH 45373, or to the Steve Price Scholarship intended for Track & Field and Cross Country runners, in care of Sara Schlegel, 805 Gallant Fox Lane, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066. Guestbook condolences and expressions of sympathy, to be provided to the family, may be expressed through jamiesonandyannucci.com.

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