Bill Price Sr. in 1991, when he was named president of Glitsa American.
Price was a third-generation floor man who began working with his father, uncles and cousins in the flooring business in the early ’50s at the age of 12. His career would eventually include being owner and president of Price Floor Company in Boston for 33 years, the product/marketing manager of Basic Coatings, president of Glitsa American Inc. and owner/president of PPI Inc. Most recently he worked as a consultant in product development and marketing for various wood floor finish manufacturers, including RPM Inc.
Price loved the wood flooring industry and was dedicated to improving it. His lengthy career included being a member of the original NWFA board of directors and the convention Program Committee chairman, as well as an instructor at many industry schools. He was also involved on the Hardwood Floors Magazine Committee and contributed articles to HF. He had earned his NWFA Craftsman, Master Craftsman, Vanguard and Honorary Vanguard degrees. Price also maintained the Floormasters.com website to provide a free platform where wood flooring contractors from around the country could share their knowledge. 
Bill Price Sr. (middle) was a member of the original NWFA board of directors, pictured here during the inagural NWFA convention in St. Louis in 1986.
NWFA conventions were particularly special to Price, and he attended every one from the premier convention in 1986 until the 2012 show in Orlando. “He really had the most fun at the conventions, where he got to see and spend time with everyone. He looked forward to it every year and was crushed when his health no longer allowed him the opportunity to attend,” Price Jr. recalls. “He was very sick during the 2012 show in Orlando but asked me to walk with him around the show. He was only strong enough at the time to spend a few hours there. Seeing the love and support from so many people who had known and respected him for 30 years humbled him and gave me a special appreciation for so many who spent time with him that day.”
Bill Price Sr. was chairman of the NWFA Program Committee in 1991. In a 2005 interview with Hardwood Floors, Price told HF that the opening reception of the Reno show was one of the most memorable moments for him: "At the opening reception of the 1991 Reno convention, an elephant and some showgirls pushed out a 50th birthday cake for me ... the showgirls were much prettier! I remember that I was just so shocked when the cake came out. I never expected it, because we were working so hard on the convention."
“Bill Price was one of the true gentlemen of the industry. He always had a smile and a good word for everyone,” recalls industry consultant Mike Sundell. “He wanted everyone to do better and would go out of his way if he could help. Bill treated everyone as his friend, whether a competitor, customer or coworker—he was kind and generous to all.”
Price Jr. also notes that his father would want to emphasize the importance of personal protection equipment for wood flooring contractors. His father had three cancers, including a rare form in his sinus, adenocarcinoma, which the doctors said was caused by wood dust. (Price shared his story about his battle with cancer with HF readers in the 2005 article “Stay Safe: Safety Lessons from Real Wood Flooring Contractors”). In 2003, Price had surgery to remove the cancer, then chemotherapy and radiation, but the cancer returned to his sinus, as well as his liver, a few months ago. “He never wore a mask or respirator. As a contractor in the ’50s and ’60s, he would have been shunned or picked on if he did,” Price Jr. says. “If there was one thing he would pass on, it would be the importance of personal safety.” In addition to the cancer caused by wood dust, Price Sr. suffered hearing loss and had high-tone deafness due to never wearing hearing protection, and had the cartilage in both his knees removed.
In addition to his involvement in the wood flooring industry, Price was recognized by the mayor of the city of Malden, Mass., for his 10-year commitment on behalf of the Summer Olympic Games for the mentally and physically challenged. He co-founded, as a member of the Jaycees, the Triangle Training Center, a shelter and workshop for people with disabilities in Malden, and he was instrumental in acquiring and managing property for an institution-to-group home. He was also a supporter and contributor for Habitat for Humanity.
Price is survived by his wife of 33 of years, Patricia A. Price, son William “Bill” R. (Ellen) Price of Pembroke, Mass. and stepchildren Deborah Duket of Baltimore; Dawn (Silvino) Ferreira of Andover, Mass.; and Frederick D. (Michelle) Sylvia III of Ames, Iowa, as well as eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
The family asks that donations in his name can be sent to Targetcancer Foundation or American Kidney Fund.
