Gloria Jeanne Price

Gloria Jeanne Price, age 78, of Forest City, died Friday, March 8,
2019 at her home. A native of Avery County, she was a daughter of the
late Edward Rollins Price and Nelle Ruth Braswell. Jeanne grew up in
Ellenboro, NC and graduated from Limestone College. Jeanne‘s long
career included working for Cleveland County NC Department of Social
Services, Orange County NC Health Department, Mountain Housing
Opportunities and Isothermal Planning and Development Commission.  She
was the former Executive Director of the Western North Carolina
Housing Partnership, and for the past ten years was a smiling face
behind the counter of Blue Ridge Pet Supplies in Black Mountain with
her son, Chip.



Survivors include her son, Chip Bridges, and his fiancée, Christine
DeLorenzo, of Black Mountain, NC; daughter, Dianne Bridges Smith, and
her husband, Sonny, of Swannanoa, NC; grandchildren Zach Moore of
Durham, NC, Lauren Moore, and Grace Moore; and step-granddaughter,
Sunny Marie Owenby and her husband, Kevin, of Black Mountain, NC. She
is also survived by a sister, Anne Price Powell, of Valdese and a
brother, Eddie Price, of Elon, NC. Jeanne loved her children, nieces,
and great-nieces and nephew, and especially adored her grandchildren.



Working with Mountain Housing Opportunities and Western North Carolina
Housing Partnership, Jeanne pursued her passion for affordable housing
in NC and she made significant impacts, creating award-winning housing
communities for seniors. Jeanne was a Master Gardener and a Master
Beekeeper. One of her greatest passions was for honey bees. When she
was eight years old, her grandmother made her a hat and veil to allow
her to work with her grandfather in his bee yard in Newland, NC. This
sparked a lifelong interest in honey bees. In early 2000, she involved
herself in beekeeping clubs and schools in Buncombe and McDowell
counties. Then, finding many beekeepers in her area but realizing
there was no local club for training and sharing information, she
founded the Rutherford County Beekeepers Association in 2004 and was
elected as their first president. Jeanne was later elected president
of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association and is in fact the
only female in its one hundred-year existence to have held the
position.

Our family would like to thank Jeanne's team at Duke Medical Center:
Dr. Jeffrey Crawford; Susan Blackwell, P.A.; and special nurses, Aviva
and Jamie, for their care and friendship and for giving us the last
four and a half years of quality time with her. We would also like to
thank the amazing nurses from Hospice of the Carolina Foothills for
guiding her on her final journey home, where we know her beloved dog
Hank was eagerly waiting to see her.

Memorial services will be held at 11 am, Tuesday, March 12, 2019, in
The Padgett & King Chapel. Visitation will follow the service. In lieu
of flowers, contributions may be made to the Rutherford NC Beekeepers
Association, 391 Old Gilberttown Road, Rutherfordton, NC 28139 to fund
a scholarship in Jeanne's memory. The Padgett & King Mortuary and
Crematory is in charge of the arrangements, and online guest registry
is available at  www.padgettking.com.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.