Lawrence William Price

Lawrence William “Larry” Price, 66, of Aiken, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, due to a massive coronary event.

Larry was born on May 13, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to Lawrence L. Price and Frances Mary Price, both of whom preceded him in death. He leaves behind his devoted wife, Martina Conrad, whom he married in Cedar Rapids on April 15, 1983; his sisters, Kathy Price, and Terri Walker (née Price), as well as many nieces, nephews, and other extended family members. His younger brother, David Price, preceded him in death.

Larry’s love of aviation began early in life. As a teenager, he joined the Civil Air Patrol, sparking a passion that would stay with him for the rest of his life. That passion eventually took him all over the world, whether for work or pleasure. Many of those journeys began and ended with him staying near an airport simply to watch the planes come and go.

At the age of eighteen, Larry enlisted in the United States Marine Corps (Semper Fi). It was there that his intense sense of discipline, service, and commitment truly took root.

After completing his service, he returned to Cedar Rapids, where he continued his education at Kirkwood Community College, where he first met Martina, he continued his education at Coe College.

Larry’s professional career first started at Kirkwood Community College, where he worked in their IT department. He then accepted a job in California where he worked for Hughes Aircraft, there he worked on the satellite program and automotive robotics. He and Martina then relocated to Aiken, South Caroline where he worked for more than forty years with the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. He facilitated many roles during his career there, most recently as their “Chief Artificial Intelligence Architect for the site. A position he absolutely loved. Larry was always looking for the next challenge, from start to completion.

With Martina at his side, he built a full and meaningful life, surrounded by the simple joys he loved: caring for his yard, spending time with their cats, and finding quiet places where he could escape to write.

Larry was a resolute writer who successfully authored and published eight books, each inspired by the places he visited and the people he met along the way. Recognized as one of Aiken’s hometown authors in residence, he poured his imagination into stories that ranged from detective series to mystical worlds and thoughtful short stories. Though often his own harshest critic, he possessed a remarkable ability to transform his unique ideas and observations into words on a page.

During his early writing career, Larry often wrote in the back library of the Willcox Inn, where everyone knew his name. Family and friends knew that if they were fortunate enough to interrupt his writing for a few moments, they might join him for a brief conversation and drink. He was grateful for their endless service and accommodation.

He enjoyed taking what he called his “sabbaticals” adventures by sea where he found peace, inspiration, and time to write. The shock of his passing, the emptiness left by his absence, and the quiet spaces where his presence once was, those who loved Larry will continue to feel these emotions. Like the waves that carried him from shore to shore, the emotions of his loss rise and fall like the tide – peaking, settling and suddenly and returning.

Though he was not a particularly religious man he often said that when his time came “he would be good.” While his life on earth has ended, the story of who he was continues in the hearts of those who loved him. May we one day meet with him again – to write, to love, and reflect. Until that day, we send him onward with love, knowing that no star is too far away for us to wish him well on his next journey.