This is absolutely the most difficult post I have ever had to make. It is with great sadness, and a heavy heart that I post the following.
Finis Price, my good friend and fellow lawyer, died on February 16 a the age of 37. He had a big heart, a big laugh, and a big smile for everyone. He will be sorely missed by many. I still cannot believe it.
Visitation will be Monday, February 20 at Stoess Funeral Home, Crestwood, KY from 11-2 p.m. with service at 2 p.m. Interment will follow at Floydsburg Cemetery.
There is a Bible quote that I had heard at so many funerals I worked at for my father in West Virginia. I had heard John 14:1-4 so many, many times, I could not comprehend the comfort in it. But, the words were not intended for me at those times. I was not the intended beneficiary of that promise, yet. It was not meant for me because I was not a witness to that moment, but just a mere passerby.
However, it struck home when it came time for me to bury my own father and then my brother. On each of those occasions, I felt at the deepest core of my being what this promise meant. It was both a comfort and an inspiration in those dark times. It is so, again. As I remembered then, and now, all the good that each of them did and the good people that they were and still are.
My father told me once that one man's legacy is another's heritage. Cherish it for it is a gift without measure and one of endless reward.
To that end, I immediately remember that infectious laugh of Finis's that would erupt without preparation but be full of heart. I remember the times I met him in the wee hours of the morning in line to pick up the newest iPhone or iPad. The times when we just shared thoughts which were meandering in our minds in the present.
The calls at odd hours when a burning question was ever present in our heads. The "what ifs", the "how comes", and the "just maybes" that stretch the edges of possibility in hopes of a probability. Usually, the cries of panic were from me as my Apple was not acting the way it was supposed to be acting.
Finis was the emobidment of my favorite quote. One from Robert F. Kennedy - “There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”
Finis was one of the few men who would say a silent prayer before our meals, regardless of location, regardless of who was present. Bearing silent witness to others of his faith. And now serving up a reminder to me that John 14:1-4 will find fulfillment with Finis. Here is the Bible quote that I hope has some meaning to those who go on. It has and will for me. Heather, you are my and Diane's prayers.
John 14:1-4 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”
PRICE, FINIS RAYMOND, III, 37, a long-time resident of Louisville, KY, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and died on Thursday, February 16, 2012. Finis was a graduate of South Oldham High School, The University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate. He was a trial attorney and member of the Kentucky Bar Association, Louisville Bar Association, Kentucky Justice Association and American Association for Justice. He was a board member of many of these organizations. Most importantly, Finis along with his wife and long-time best friend, Heather, co-founded TechnoEsq, a legal consulting firm; allowing them to integrate their passion for technology and practicing law. He was also a professor at Chase Law School at Northern Kentucky University. Finis is deeply loved and greatly missed by his wife, the former Heather Mitchell; his father, Ray Price II; his mother-in-law, Janice "DeeDee" Mitchell; sisters-in-law, April (Chris) Lumbatis and Amber (Glynn) Brockway; and brother-in-law, Phillip (Heather) Mitchell Jr. Finis had eleven nieces and nephews whom he loved as his own; Hunter, Merideth, Olivia, Sammy, Landon, Rylan, Reagan, Phillip, Hannah, Christian, Hope; and his god child Connor Mattingly. He is loved by many, many friends. Visitation will be Monday, February 20 at Stoess Funeral Home, Crestwood, KY from 11-2 p.m. with service at 2 p.m. Interment will follow at Floydsburg Cemetery. Condolences at www.stoessfuneralhome.com
Thank you Micheal but I should like to add that Finis R. Price III was raised and loved deeply by his mother Sandra M. Price....I took care of my child with all my heart and soul ...I brought him to the library at the age of two... he began lessons with me by attending plays and art gallery openings...he attended city park performances in Louisville, Ky ...he went to classes with me on his days off of school... he argued with fellow classmates that were miffed that he could speak in such an eloquent manner...I use to always say he can speak his mind as long as he does so respectfully... he was my shining light and I never let him forget it... and I forgive those who chose not to mention his mother during this horrific time in my life...My favorite song to describe how I felt about him was Louis Armstrong's What a wonderful World...and I think that says it all...
Posted by: Sandra Martinez Price | Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:02 PM
Well done Michael. Thanks.
Posted by: Kevin OKeefe | Monday, February 20, 2012 at 12:51 AM
Thank you Michael, it was a tribute worthy of Finis.
Posted by: Benham Sims | Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 08:01 PM