Remembering Gary Price

A pioneer of the Sky High for Kids Sporting Clay Tournament in Houston, Texas

Gary Price was born March 28, 1960, in Kilgore, Texas…the heart and soul of the East Texas Oilfield. He grew up under the influence of his grandfather, Ed “Peabody” Morris, whose job was managing several wells in the area. Gary would often tell stories of being a little boy going to work with Grand Dad, standing in the front seat of his truck as they made their way down the dirt roads to the well locations. One particularly amusing story was of he and Ed going to the bank or post office and seeing the businessmen in their suits and ties. He always had sympathy for them because “those men couldn’t get a job in the oilfield” like his grandfather. After graduating from Kilgore High School he attended Kilgore College, studying Petroleum Technology. Once he graduated, he was hired by Sun Oil Company and was sent to Laverne, Oklahoma. His bosses quickly observed his dedication and hard work ethic for his and he was soon moved into a foreman’s position, where he became the boss of several men who were quite a bit older and had more experience. He managed to win everyone over with his fairness, working shoulder to shoulder with those under his supervision and above all else, his amazing sense of humor. A few years later, Sun Oil had him load up his young family and move to Delhi, Louisiana and then on to Uvalde, Texas where he would also shine as both a boss and co-worker. Sun Oil company was eventually purchased by Oryx Energy, and later Oryx was purchased by Kerr-McGee which is where Gary became acquainted with the Gulf of America (Mexico at the time) and working offshore. Gary was part of the Kerr McGee “Neptune” crew, which was the world’s first production SPAR. He later ventured into the drilling side of his company, where he was working when Kerr McGee experienced some major cutbacks with personnel. Even though he had many years of service, he was still considered “low man on the totem pole” of the drilling department and that meant his time with his Kerr McGee friends was over. Or so he thought… After the Kerr McGee separation he found an opportunity with UPR and became one of their production consultants for well intervention. Not long after, UPR was purchased by Anadarko Petroleum where he served as Foreman/OIM for the construction, deployment and operations of the world’s deepest tension leg platform, Marco Polo. And, as usual, another company purchased another company. This time Gary’s company, Anadarko, purchased Kerr McGee and he had once again come full circle with his original family. Shortly after the purchase, Gary was moved to The Woodlands where he was first a production superintendent and then later their Well Intervention Superintendent. It was during this time that he met Brittany Hebert and became a driving force behind the growth of Sky High for St. Jude (now Sky High for Kids).

Gary loved to shoot. It was clearly his passion and being in the Houston area finally afforded him the opportunity to shoot sporting clays on some of the finest courses in Texas, as well as meeting some amazing people along the way. In 2008, Gary was invited to shoot in the very first Sky High Houston tournament. He enjoyed the format, the comradery and especially the fact that such a bright young lady had taken it upon herself to help these amazing children and their families. Shortly after, Anadarko became a top sponsor for Sky High and Gary was able to meet the group of women who were valiantly trying to create a top tier shooting event to raise cancer awareness for children. He particularly had a soft spot in his heart for Brittany, as she was born on the same day and year as his own daughter Ashley. And so, it began… 

Because of his occupation as Well Intervention Superintendent, Gary was in a unique position in that he had opportunities to speak to people from all walks of the oil and gas industry. When Sky High needed some assistance to help their tournament grow with new shooters, teams and sponsors, Gary took that as his calling and began to tell every person he encountered about Sky High for St Jude and the beautiful ladies who were championing such a noble and fulfilling cause. Following his call for friends to participate, Sky High enjoyed a significant number of people participating in their Houston tournament. He was so proud! He was happy for his friends who he got to spend time with and he was amazed at how fast the event grew, he was shocked at the amount of money raised compared to the previous year but most of all, he was proud of himself for having such a strong group of industry professionals he could call on to be a part of Sky High foundation and history. And it didn’t stop there, either…

As time went on, his friends and colleagues began asking “what can I do to help?” and Gary would point them in a direction that was most needed. More and more friends became not just participants in the event, but they also became sponsors and volunteers. A couple of years later, Brittany and the other Sky High ladies honored him with a beautiful plaque which read “Sky High for St Jude Biggest Supporter.” No one else got to witness the big tears that welled up in his eyes as we drove home that day, other than me. He just couldn’t believe that someone appreciated him in such a kind way, and he was touched by the spirit in which it was given. To this day, the plaque still stands in his trophy case…and always will. 

Several years later, after Sky High was brimming with sponsors, participants, volunteers and events, Gary learned that he himself had cancer. Bladder Cancer. At first it was believed that he would be able to take a couple of treatments, and the bladder cancer would be gone, as it is quite common among men. Over the course of 2 or 3 years, Gary had several treatments, several hospitals stays, infections and other illnesses because of the cancer. He finally sought medical attention at MD Anderson where it was determined his bladder cancer was quite rare…and had no cure. Should it move outside his bladder he would have maybe 14 months to live because it was so aggressive. Soon after this diagnosis, he had a 15-hour surgery where his bladder, right kidney and several lymph nodes were removed. The surgery was life changing, but the bladder was gone, so the cancer was gone. But it wasn’t. A year later at a scheduled scan, his doctor recognized a spot that looked all too familiar. 

Gary soon began a clinical trial and with it came side effects. It was this time in his life when he finally realized and related to what the children and babies endure with a diagnosis. One day as he was struggling with pain in his hands and feet that affected every move he made, he turned and said “how do the babies do it? I’m a grown man and I can hardly manage this…. How do the babies do it? How to the parents watch their children as they experience this?” It was a very different, an emotional day. He spoke about all the kids he had met at the tournaments in past years and this time his voice was different. He spoke with empathy and heart ache because he could relate to what these precious angels were thinking and experiencing. From that day forward, every event he attended afterward he would look at those special guests who came to enjoy the day with love and compassion. They weren’t just children with cancer, anymore. 

Unless he was confined to a hospital bed, Gary made it to every single Sky High tournament in Houston, as well as Lafayette and San Antonio. He loved this group of people. He loved what they stood for and how they would think outside the box to help the kids and their families with events and adventures. But most of all, he was proud that he was a part of its heart and soul. Even though Sky High was never “his” he always felt that in a very special way, a part of it was his. 

Gary’s last attendance at a Sky High Houston tournament was last February. No one knows what he endured to be there one last time. No matter what the cost, he was not going to miss it. He was able to see and visit people who were his friends for nearly a lifetime, people who he worked hard with, people he respected and people he loved. And he knew it was the last time. He was honored when Brittany spoke of him…and to him…about his commitment to Sky High and the people who have been a part of it since the beginning. The silent tears on the drive home said it all. 

Gary passed away on April 11, 2024 at home with his family. The holes he left in the lives of those who loved him will never be filled, and that’s ok. He earned the right to leave that vacancy after being present for so many he left behind.