Mr. Howard Price’s decades-old notebook of diagnostic recipes came in handy when Vanderbilt Health ran short of a component crucial to COVID-19 testing efforts. (photo by Susan Urmy)
Howard Price, a technical supervisor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and with 67 years of employment, the longest serving member of the Vanderbilt Health family, died Oct. 12. He was 85.
One of Mr. Price’s more notable contributions came during the COVID-19 pandemic when a supply chain crisis led to a shortage of the viral transport media (VTM) necessary for COVID-19 testing. Mr. Price returned to an old green notebook full of diagnostic recipes used early in his career, found the right formula, and led the manufacture of VTM for the entire Vanderbilt Health system.
On evenings and weekends early in the pandemic, Mr. Price could be found leading a team in the laboratory making VTM, ensuring testing was uninterrupted — a vital element of the health system’s response to the crisis.
“Howard was a fixture in the clinical laboratory for as long as many of us can remember,” said Adam Seegmiller, MD, PhD, the Dorothy Beryl and Theodore R. Austin Professor of Pathology and Chair of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. “He was quietly reliable; always there when we needed him.
“During the COVID pandemic especially, Howard worked long hours to make sure that the laboratory had everything it needed to take care of our patients. He didn’t make a big deal of it and never complained. He just knew he was needed, so he showed up. That was who he was. We will miss him terribly.”
Mr. Price began his Vanderbilt career in the dietary department in 1959. He soon found his niche in a different area, providing support for laboratory research conducted throughout the Medical Center. Over the years he oversaw the handmade development of many forms of culture media — fungal, bacterial, mycobacterial and viral — that are important components of research and diagnostic processes. He also oversaw glassware cleaning and sterilization for Clinical Microbiology.
“Howard Price epitomized what it means to be a medical professional,” said Romney Humphries, PhD, Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs and Executive Medical Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. “He put in countless long hours ensuring the laboratory was equipped for patient care, showing tremendous devotion to our team and our patients. Always quick with a smile and a brief chat, seeing Howard in the lab daily was one of the highlights of my day. He will be greatly missed by all those in our laboratory.”
One of Mr. Price’s most important connections wasn’t formed alongside the cultures and test tubes, however. As a young man, he had the good luck to meet a librarian named Gwendolyn who worked nearby on the Vanderbilt University campus.
“Somehow they crossed paths; one thing led to another; and they began dating,” recalled their younger son, Cory Price. “They got married in 1962. My brother, Vincent, is the firstborn and then me.”
Cory remembers coming to work with Mr. Price, and he knew early that Vanderbilt had a big space in his father’s heart. While Cory said the “pandemic was a blur,” he remembers telling his father he wasn’t sure he should keep coming in to work at the Medical Center.
“I was so nervous for him — being the age that he was — possibly being exposed to the virus,” he said. “I told him he should consider taking some time off. But he was determined. He told me, ‘No, the people need me; I have a job to do; and I’m going to do it.’”
Tom Peters, MLS, Executive Director of Sales Operations with Vanderbilt Medical Laboratories, began his career in the Medical Center North Microbiology Laboratory in 1982, and he remembers the early days of working with the soft-spoken man who soon became a close friend. Away from work, Mr. Price was a Tennessee Titans season ticket holder and a huge fan of the Vanderbilt Commodores, so big plays and final scores were often a conversation topic.
“Howard was truly involved from start to finish in supporting our lab’s needs,” Peters said. “But even more than his value to our work in the laboratory, I cherish the friendship we had over the years. Howard was always willing to discuss and help with work-related items, but we also talked family, sports and current events. Howard was an invaluable resource to Vanderbilt, and a great friend personally. He will be truly missed by everyone who knew him.”
Microbiologist Jennifer Steinhauer met Mr. Price in 1982 when she was a student training at the old Nashville Memorial Hospital. Mr. Price was working at the laboratories there during one of his many “other jobs.” When there was an opening in the Vanderbilt microbiology lab in 1986, he recommended Steinhauer for the position. She still works there more than four decades later.
“I learned part of my work ethic and always wanting to do things the right way and what was best for the patient from Howard,” she said. “His words of wisdom … ‘Walk tall, hold your shoulders back, and most of all, show respect when it was due. And be confident in your job when dealing with doctors and nurses, as we all put our pants on the same way.’”
His contributions often extended well beyond the eight hours or more he spent in the microbiology lab, Steinhauer added, as he also made media for the pathology lab, the pediatric and adult infectious disease labs, and the vaccine lab.
“I want people to know Vanderbilt Health was his life, and he was very proud of being a small part of the Vanderbilt Health success story,” she said. “He deserves every bit of praise.”
Jonathan Schmitz, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, worked closely with Mr. Price for many years.
“For all that can be said about Howard’s service to Vanderbilt and VUMC over the decades — and it truly was extraordinary — even that can’t compare to what a profoundly kind and giving human being he was,” he shared.
In 2017, Mr. Price was honored during the inaugural “Hidden VUMC Figures” event, a tribute to employees who made significant long-term, often behind-the-scenes, contributions to the Medical Center. He was humbled by the recognition.
“He devoted much of his life to the institution he loved, believing in the importance of education, medical research and helping others,” said his son Vincent Price. “He never needed recognition or applause — his satisfaction came from knowing he had made a difference. I believe his greatest contribution to Vanderbilt was not simply the work he performed, but the example he set for others through his dedication, leadership and work ethic. To Vanderbilt, I hope you will always remember Howard as a man who truly cared about the institution, its people and its mission.”
Mr. Price was preceded in death by his wife, Gwendolyn, who died in 2007. He is survived by his sons, Vincent and Cory, and three grandchildren, Brandon, Zyair and Keeli Hanley.
Public visitation is Thursday, Oct. 29, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., at Smith Funeral Home, 706 Monroe St., Nashville. Family visitation is Friday, Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. until noon, with the funeral service to follow at Wightman Chapel, 1027 18th Ave. South, Nashville. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery.
