Royce Price was born at home in Ray County, MO on July 29, 1939, and passed away in his home in Nixa, MO on January 15, 2020 at the age of 80. His parents, Joseph and Goldie Price, had four sons, including Royce and his twin brother Robert. Royce lived his entire childhood in the country, in an old farmhouse without indoor plumbing. Royce and his brothers were ornery, spending their days in the barn loft, having corn cobb fights which could at times prove quite dangerous and left their fair share of scars, and digging tunnels under the roots of the big oak tree in the yard. To give you but anecdote which surely summarizes Royce, his twin Robert, and their childhood, Royce's dad once had to replace the front porch because it had mysteriously rotted right beneath the twin's bedroom window. The cause? The lack of indoor plumbing and Royce and Robert's unwillingness to utilize the outhouse.

Royce graduated from high school in Excelsior Springs in 1957 and immediately joined the Air Force Reserves, shipping off to boot camp and missing his graduation ceremony. He served from 1957-1965, including active duty during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. Royce was the crew chief on a C-124.

Royce and Lora met in 1958, were married in September 1959 and enjoyed 60 years of marriage together. They adopted Michelle when she was a baby, and she quickly became the love of Royce's life.

Royce and his family lived in Excelsior Springs, and Royce worked at the Ford Motor Company. After an injury, Royce became the loan officer at Clay County Bank (now Commerce Bank). He was even offered a position of Vice-President of a branch in Springfield, IL, but turned it town because he did not want to leave his family and friends. Eventually, Royce started a residential painting business, and it was the spray lacquer that got into his lungs and caused his COPD. The last job Royce held was a hubcap business, which became so successful that Royce was known regionally as the "Hubcap Man."

Royce and Lora moved to Nixa in 1989, where they stayed ever since, with the exception of a six-month stint in Florida. But again, they couldn't stay away from family and friends, so they moved back.

Royce was saved in 1976 at Pisgah Baptist Church in Excelsior Springs. He was an ordained deacon and drove the bus for the church bus ministry. Royce loved serving the Lord in this way, and the kids looked forward to seeing his smiling face as he opened the bus door. He also taught the youth on Sunday evenings, and sang in the church choir (although he occasionally fell asleep during the sermon, much to the consternation of his wife seated out in the pews). When Royce and Lora moved to Nixa, they became members of North Nixa Baptist Church, where Royce remained a member until his death.

Royce loved to fish, and loved to spend time on Pomme de Terre lake, where they owned a small lake house. According to Michelle, Royce especially loved the challenge of trying to lose riders on the tube attached by rope to the back of the boat. Royce also enjoyed gardening and landscaping. He built a water pond with a multi-level waterfall and built a beautiful front porch with a bay. He was a man who worked hard and was very talented with his hands.

Royce is preceded in death by his mother and father, two brothers (Robert and Norman), and one grandson (Tim). He is survived by his wife (Lora), his daughter (Michelle Ryser and husband Roger), his grandsons (Jeremy Adair and fiancé Christy, and Landon Ryser and wife Kreslee), a brother (Kenneth Price), a brother-in-law (John Beechner), several beloved nephews and nieces, and many other family and friends.

Visitation will be Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home with funeral service to follow at 2:00 PM in the funeral home.  Graveside Service will be held Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 10:00 AM in Missouri Veterans Cemetery.