Charles C. Price
January 14, 1925 – June 4, 2023
Charles was born in Judson, Indiana, on January 14, 1925. He was the son of Charles Victor Price and Maranda Baker Price. The family moved back to Kentucky six months later. Charles lettered in football and basketball at Stanford High School. He played a baritone horn in the band at Stanford H. S. and at Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky, his senior year. He graduated early from Lafayette H. S. in 1942, having skipped a grade.
Charles played baritone horn in the University of Kentucky band. He received a Superior Award in the Regionals at Richmond, Kentucky, and then an excellent in the State contest in Lexington in 1941.
Charles had a year of college before signing to serve as a pilot in World War II. He flew 28 combat missions in a B-17 Fortress with the 95th Bomb Group of the 8th Army Air Corps in Europe. Charles also flew three Operation Chowhound Missions, dropping food to the starving Dutch before the war ended in Europe. Charles witnessed, on the last mission of the 8th Air Force a B-17 in his 334th Squadron, a plane damaged by antiaircraft fire when the plane flew over a position still held by the Germans. The plane went down in the English Channel. He believes there were two or three survivors. Sceurmam Crew was onboard. He believes this plane had the name “Better Duck” on it [sic]. Charles had flown several missions in this plane.
Charles started back at UK in January 1946. He joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He graduated in 1948 with a B.S. in civil engineering. He met Margaret Jean Kingsley (Peggy) on a blind date. Peggy and Charles were married at First Presbyterian Church on June 12, 1948. They left immediately for Denver, Colorado. Charles worked as a Design Engineer for the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation from June 1948 to September 1952. Charles finished graduate work at the University of Colorado. He was on his way to hand in his thesis paper for his master’s degree in civil engineering when he received a call that his daughter Marilyn had polio. His thesis paper was never turned into the engineering department.
Charles loved flying and being a civil engineer. He held a single and multi-engine commercial pilot's license with an instrument rating, flying until 1991. He also had a professional license as a civil engineer in Kentucky. Charles was a University of Kentucky Life Member and a member of UK’s Fellows Society. He was a member of the Lexington Country Club, Spindletop Hall, The Lexington Club, Keeneland Club, Windstar Country Club of Naples, Florida, The Thoroughbred Club of America, and a member of First Presbyterian Church serving as deacon and elder. Charles was co-owner of W. E. Kingsley Co. from October 1952 through January 2003. He was also co-owner of Holiday Inn motels in Somerset, KY, and Rock Hill, SC. He was involved in the thoroughbred horse industry for over forty years in racing and breeding.
He is survived by daughters Marilyn Kingsley Price Smedley (Ronald) and Margaret Carlyle Swim (Gary); Grandson Charles (Chad) Smedley (Dr. Meg Smedley) and their children, Sara Margaret Smedley (Sally), Elizabeth Miller Smedley (Eliza), and Kathryn Price (Ryn) Smedley; Granddaughter Sarah Melissa Mulholland and great-granddaughter McCauley Carlyle Mulholland; granddaughter Margaret Price (Megan) Averell (Randle) and-great grandson Randle Price Averell; Great granddaughters Meredith Swim, Julie Swim and Katie Swim. Nieces include Gail Betz Manning and her children, Maurice Manning and Sara Katherine Beavin (Tom). Bettye Jo Isherwood (Dr. Thomas) and their children Meredith Schroeder (Greg) and Nathan Isherwood (Sophie) and Charles first cousin, Vivian Dowden.”
An obituary for Charles on echovita.com adds that he was predeceased by his parents. Although not mentioned, Charles’ wife Peggy passed away in 2018. Funeral arrangements, according echovita.com, were under the care of Milward Funeral Director in KY. Fittingly, the second obituary ends with this line: “In lieu of flowers please make gifts to the 95th Bomb Group [Heritage Association] c/o Grace Hammesfahr, P. O. Box 71, Metuchen, New Jersey 08840 in memory of veterans who have left the formation.”