Obituary of Spencer Donald Price

The family of the late Spencer Donald Price is saddened to announce his passing on November 19, 2024. He died as he lived, determined and on his own terms. While his illness was long, his passing was swift; shortly after a fall in the wee hours of Tuesday (we think he was checking to see if his legs still worked), he went to sleep peacefully with his Susan (daughter, decision maker, and sometimes arch nemesis) by his side. 

At 87 years young, Spencer lived a long, healthy life until his lungs began to fail the last couple of years. He was born April 15, 1937, in Priceville, NB, a son to the late Magnus and Mabel (Munn) Price. He joined the military in November 1958 and was stationed with the Guards in Ottawa. This is where he met his beloved Louise. He told the story of sitting on a step with a fellow soldier and seeing the “most beautiful woman walk by”; the rest, as they say, is history.

He and Louise married in 1961 and together they moved to NB where Spencer was stationed at CFB Gagetown with the Black Watch until his release in August 1963. Shortly after, they packed up and headed for Priceville, where he and his young, French-speaking wife from the city, moved into a little house with no indoor plumbing. To say she experienced culture shock would be an understatement!

Spencer always joked that when they first moved back, Louise could hardly boil a pot of water (we can see her rolling her eyes at this statement now). She had no choice but to become a good cook, having to feed her family of 8.

Despite it all, they enjoyed a long marriage until her passing in 2011 and raised their kids in a home surrounded by love. Growing up, Saturday nights were for homemade pizza and Hockey Night in Canada, or perhaps a wrestling match in the cramped corners of the living room that would put the WWF to shame. The kids never went without, despite their humble beginnings.

Upon returning to his own stomping grounds, Spencer worked for Gills and then Russell and Swim, cutting pulp. He then tried his hand as a Fish Warden for a few years. It is fitting that he was born on the first day of fishing season, given his love for the sport and eventually, Spencer secured work as a fishing guide for Rocky Brook. He spent many amazing years there; he very much enjoyed guiding the sports (well-unless they didn’t like to tip!) and the stories he brought home of his days spent on the river with Bill, Hardy, Wes, Warren, Leon, Allen, and the rest, always had us in stitches. He swore they were all true…but did you ever know a fishing guide to get a fishing story 100% right? When they weren’t catching the biggest fish in the Miramichi, Spencer and his co-workers seemed to enjoy trying to out-prank one another; nobody loved a good joke more than Spencer. To this day, we aren’t sure how Manley kept them all in line. 

Preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 49 years, Louise, sisters Merva and Norma (Sis), brother Wavell, along with several brothers-in-law and sisters-in law and a nephew.

Spencer is survived by his six children: Susan (Martin), Timothy, Kathleen (Mike), Anthony (Lori), Robert, and Kenneth (Kari); his grandchildren, Nickole (Aaron), Natasha (Matt), Jason (Lyndsay), Joshua (Dom), Swazey, Reirdan, and his only great-grandchild, Canaan-all of whom were the light of his life. He was so very proud and pictures of the children and grandchildren always adorned the walls of their home. He is also survived by his siblings: Lila, Sharon (Norman), James, Esther, and Lorne (Bernice), one aunt, Vesta, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

We could never forget his very special friend, Katharine. We will be forever grateful for the love and care she provided to him these last three years. She entertained all of his requests for adventures from St. Martins to Blackville, and everywhere in between. One of their favourite things to do was to have a picnic at the Footbridge.

If it weren’t for Katharine as well as the dedication and patience (most of the time) given to him by Susan and Bob, and his wonderful homecare workers (Shelly and Lila), he would not have been able to stay at home as long as he did.

He kept Susan and Bob on their toes, constantly thinking up one more thing he needed to buy-including a new TV which proved to be the bane of everyone’s existence since Spencer could not get it to work with that “damn remote control”. More often than not, the remote control turned out to be the cordless phone, or the remote for the mini split. Kenneth was also meant to troubleshoot the TV (by phone)-during one call, Spencer couldn’t get it to work-it was “no good for nothing”. When Ken asked what was going on, he eventually admitted he could not find the remote to change the channel. Once Bob got home and found it (in the chair-always in the chair), all was right with the world. He also liked to call Susan in the middle of the night after she had just nicely drifted off to sleep, to ask her what time it was.

On Monday evening when Kathy was sitting with him at the hospital, Spencer kept telling her the doctor was letting him go home the next day and he was going to get on that four-wheeler and go hunt with the boys one last time. We now know the “home” he was referring to. Tuesday after his death, the boys went to their hunting stands for the last couple of hours of the day and at last light, Tim, Tony, and Bob gave him a three-gun salute. He would have loved that.

There will be so many memories and stories to reminisce about during our loss. These are the proof of a life well-lived. So, while we will miss him, we will take comfort in these, and even greater comfort in imagining the reunion when he finally made it “Home”.

Visitation will be at York Funeral Home’s Miramichi Valley Chapel, 7681 Route 8, New Bandon, on Sunday, November 24, 2024, from 2-4 pm. A Memorial Service will be held from Miramichi Valley Chapel on Monday, November 25, 2024, at 2 pm with Erdie Price officiating. Honourary Pallbearers include Bill McKay, Wes McKay, Henry Stewart, Duffy (Allan) Price, Todd Stewart, Carl McKay, and Larry Stewart. Burial will follow at the McNamee Pentecostal Cemetery in Porter Cove. A reception will then be held at the Boiestown Lions Club.

The family would appreciate donations in Spencer’s memory to the Canadian Lung Association or the Arthritis Society of Canada. Personal condolences may be offered through www.yorkfh.com