By Thomas A. Parmalee
On April 12, the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association’s Educational Foundation will present its Lasting Impact Award to a man who is accustomed to being the one handing the award to others: Jim Price.
Price has made it his mission to give back to the future of the death-care profession and was president and chairman of the ICCFA Educational Foundation from 2015 to 2023.
“Under his leadership, the Foundation experienced incredible growth in donations received, scholarships awarded, and impactful initiatives established. Price’s commitment to service remains unwavering as he continues to serve as a trustee for the ICCFA Educational Foundation, along with his membership in both the Government & Legal Affairs Committee and Veterans Committee. Additionally, he was inducted into the ICCFA Hall of Fame in 2022,” the ICCFA states.
Price, 75, lives in the Valrico, Florida, a suburb of Tampa, and serves as the senior vice president of industry relations at Johnson Consulting Group – the same title he held when he worked at Park Lawn Corp., working alongside J. Bradley Green and Jay Dodds.
He’s also worked at numerous other firms over the years, including Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park & Funeral Home in Westlake Village, California; Bonney-Watson Funeral Home in Washington State; and Midwest Memorial Group in Michigan. He co-founded Keystone Group Holdings (which became Keystone North America before it was bought by Service Corporation International) and Foundation Partners Group.
For years, Price was tasked with calling the winner of the Lasting Impact Award to personally let them know that their contributions to the profession were being recognized in a big way. Several months ago, he found himself in the strange situation of getting such a phone call himself.
“Well, I received that same call from current chairman of the ICCFA Educational Foundation and I was so surprised!” he said. “Particularly since we had an upcoming meeting at which this agenda was going to be discussed. Little did I know that there was a meeting before the meeting. I am very honored, appreciative, and grateful to have my work recognized and join the giants in our profession that have won it before.”
The award was first presented in 2014 and has become known as one of the most prestigious honors in the profession. You can view the past winners here.
“I recall that the idea was presented to me by Nancy Lohman coming out of an ICCFA Executive Committee meeting in California at the Fall Management Conference,” Price said. “I supported the idea, particularly since there were so many individuals that had made significant contributions to education in our profession.”
Gino Merendino, president of the ICCFA Educational Foundation, can’t think of anyone more deserving to win the award than Price. “The scope of Jim’s commitment and tireless service to the ICCFA and death-care profession has been nothing short inspirational,” he said.
That Price would end up working in death care was almost a foregone conclusion when he was born: His three brothers and two sisters grew up above their mom and dad’s funeral home, Price Funeral Home, in Lake City, South Carolina. “I began by helping my dad,” he said.
He quickly found a place in the management ranks.
“Around 40 years ago, I moved into a general manager role of Pierce Brothers Mortuaries & Cemeteries in Southern California and then to a vice president of operations role,” he said.
That meant he rarely had the chance to engage in the everyday tasks of being a funeral director with his dress shoes on the ground. “Yes, I did miss it,” he said. “Assisting families often during the biggest challenge of their lives was incredibly rewarding as a funeral director.” He added, “It has always been the same. I’ve always been in an operational position that required the recruitment and retention of great associates.”
He has fond memories of working with the late Tom Johnson earlier in his career, and he considers it a privilege to now be working for his son, Jake.
“I knew Tom Johnson since the late 1970s as a location manager for International Funeral Services in Southern California,” he said. “Shortly after Tom became president of Pierce Brothers Mortuaries & Cemeteries, I accepted the position of general manager of Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Mortuary & Cemetery. That was 40 years ago. A few years later, Jake Johnson and my son, Jay, both worked summers at the cemetery when they were in high school. So, yes, the Johnson family and I go a long way back.”
Asked about his tenure at Park Lawn, he said, “I appreciated and enjoyed my tenure with Park Lawn Corporation. I was afforded the opportunity to position the company very positively through North America in our profession. I am proud of what I accomplished and am excited about now doing the same for Johnson Consulting Group.”
Death-Care Professionals Cheer for Price
As news spread about Price being the latest in a line of funeral service titans to win the Lasting Impact Award, people cheered.
Nadira Baddeliyanage, executive director of the ICCFA, called Price “one of the most selfless individuals I have had the privilege to meet in our profession.” She added, “He cares deeply about the death-care profession and is committed to making a difference. His passion for his work is very evident in how he serves ICCFA’s Educational Foundation. Jim has been instrumental in raising donations, which in turn has made it possible for the Educational Foundation to grant a record number of scholarships to our educational programs. As Nelson Mandela said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,’ and Jim Price is a true believer! I look forward to celebrating Jim being awarded the Lasting Impact Award at ICCFA’s Annual Convention and Expo in Tampa.”
Jake Johnson, president and CEO of Johnson Consulting Group, said he didn’t have to think too hard when he had the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his father and offer Price a job. He noted that he’s known Price ever since he was a boy.
“He was always a presence in the room – he made you feel comfortable,” he said. “I can reflect on that as a kid and also as a professional – he’s still the same person.”
Whenever you are trying to get something done or need some help with something, Price is the type of man who can help you mightily, Johnson said.
In fact, perhaps Price’s primary concern when joined Johnson Consulting Group is that he wanted to be sure his duties would not interfere with him giving back to the profession he loves so dearly, Johnson shared.
“I completely agreed with that,” Johnson said. “We created a special position to have for Jim in the sense that we know he can be impactful in a lot of different ways.” He added, “We just want Jim to keep doing what he is doing and give back in the profession – being involved and being out there.”
He’s also a huge asset to JCG clients as very few people can rival his experience and expertise, particularly on the cemetery side, Johnson said.
“I always did – and still do – look up to Jim,” Johnson said, reflecting on his work alongside Price at Keystone all the way up to today.
Kim Price, regional vice president at National Guardian Life Insurance Co., said she is extremely proud of Jim’s accomplishments.
“I have seen his dedication and creativity improve both the ways we serve families and the opportunities within the profession for personal growth,” she said. “His passion has led to many innovative programs, my favorite of which is the Journey to Serve initiative to hire veterans into funeral service.”
She observed that during his tenure as chairman of the ICCFA Educational Foundation, fundraising topped $1 million. “More importantly, it led to so many deserving people receiving scholarships to DeadTalks and the ICCFA University,” she said. “He has mentored so many people throughout his career – both funeral directors and suppliers. I encourage all who have not had an opportunity to review the videos in his program, ‘Honored to Be Asked to Share’ to do so. These interviews of the movers and shakers of our profession are invaluable to the new field of funeral professionals coming up. The impact that he has made on our profession will truly be lasting. This is such a fitting award for Jim, and I congratulate him on this achievement.”
Anthony Kaniuk, director of industry relations at the National Funeral Directors Association, has been proud to call Price a mentor for nearly a quarter of a century.
“I believe there are a few lions who are pride leaders in funeral service, and Jim Price is definitely one of them,” he said. “He teaches you to observe, analyze and keep learning. Learning from other leaders is not just about copying their actions or words. It’s about how you analyze how you think, communicate, make decisions, handle challenges, motivate others and achieve results.”
By listening to Price, Kaniuk has mastered the art of setting goals – and he’s much more willing to experiment, take risks and reflect on what he’s learned. “Leadership is best learned from experience,” Kaniuk said. “When I asked Jim 10 years ago about working for NFDA, he said, do it! You’ll learn three things by doing so, 1) You’ll learn what it means to work with a board. 2) You’ll learn how to work with a board. 3) You’ll work with a board.”
Kaniuk concluded, “Being a great leader, Jim knows mentorship has always been the most successful way to succession; he has done this with and for so many in the funeral profession over the years. I am grateful to be just one of them.”
Joe Weigel, owner of Weigel Strategic Marketing, admires Price’s “uncanny” ability to get things done, which he attributes to his willingness to allow others to do what they do best.
“Jim’s not a micro-manager; he identifies the people with the expertise to get the job done and then gets out of the way,” Weigel said. “I witnessed this firsthand during the development of both the ICCFA Educational Foundation’s ‘Final Responders’ PSA campaign and the National Alliance of Children’s Grief’s ‘Faces of Grief’ PSA campaign. He sets the vision and the rest of us deliver on this vision.”
Price is not content to merely “sit” on a board, Weigel said. “He wants to be involved and make a difference, as he has with ICCFA’s Educational Foundation and the National Alliance of Children’s Grief,” he said. “Jim is a doer who wants to give back and make a lasting impact however he can. He’s done this his entire career, which is why he is so deserving of the ICCFA’s Lasting Impact Award.”
Steven A. Tidwell, the senior vice president of sales and marketing at Service Corporation International, co-founded Keystone with Price, Steve Shaffer and Bob Horn. He would serve as the company’s president and CEO.
“Jim has a big heart and has always been someone you could count on,” Tidwell said. “As a businessman, he knows and understands the funeral and cemetery business and draws on his lifetime of experience to make good decisions.”
He also has an innovative mind and is adept at leveraging innovation to develop and deploy creative strategies, Tidwell said. “And while he takes his commitment to funeral service very seriously, Jim has a great sense of humor,” he said. “I’ve seen his use of humor oftentimes break the ice is a tense situation. It typically works, and the topic of conversation or decision ends with a positive and fair outcome.”
Price absolutely deserves this honor, Tidwell concluded. “Jim has not been just a card-carrying member of the various trade groups and other industry roundtable type of events – he has been very active in most all of them and over his career in the funeral profession and has contributed greatly … my congratulations to Jim!”
A Passion for Education
The award from ICCFA means a great deal to Price given how he’s been so involved with the association over the years.
“Southern California has some of our profession’s largest and most successful combination funeral home and cemeteries in the United States,” Price said. “The Forest Lawns, Rose Hills, and Green Hills just to name a few. Even though I was a licensed funeral director embalmer, I received that opportunity as general manager of Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks in Westlake Village, California, and I got involved with what was at that time known as the Interment Association of California, now named CMAC (the Cemetery Mortuary Association of California) which provided me with the opportunity to attend my first ACA (American Cemetery Association) Conference, which eventually became known as ICCFA.”
The focus of the ICCFA has always been on education, which squarely aligns with what Price is all about.
“In order to make education accessible to our profession’s future leaders, I’ve always known that our ICCFA Educational Foundation needed to raise a lot of money,” he said. “Partnering with our profession’s suppliers and corporations, as well as individual donors has provided us with millions, which has positioned us on average to provide around 150 scholarships to ICCFA University and our annual DeadTalks conference.”
Asked what tasks have stuck out to him over his career beyond the usual services provided to families, he singled out the purchasing of a mausoleum back from an L.A. family and selling it to Hugh Heffner, selling a private mausoleum to Gerald Cantor, the founder of Cantor Fitzgerald; and making funeral arrangements with JD Powers Jr. for his father.
As for the most meaningful mentors in his life, his dad – James Price – ranks at the top.
“He was the first mentor that I ever had … he was a wonderful example of a person who was dedicated, caring and committed to being of service to others,” he said.
As for other mentors, he could list dozens, but two are at the very top: Bob Horn and the late “great” Tom Johnson.
“Their positive attitude and business acumen is only part of what set them apart,” he said. “Yes, we were acquirers of many businesses – however, we were always an operational company and the highest title in our companies was always the former owners. Bob and Tom’s example helped me to become a better leader and taught me how to offer the same type of leadership for my associates as my career advanced.”
The ICCFA Educational Foundation’s Lasting Impact Award will be presented to Price at a reception at the ICCFA convention at 5 p.m. on April 12.
Editors note: Patti Martin Bartsche, the longtime editor of American Funeral Director magazine, wrote a wonderful article highlighting Jim Price’s contributions to funeral service and the many reasons he’s been awarded the Lasting Impact Award. Read her article.
Read FuneralVision.com’s article about last year’s Lasting Impact Award winner, Doug Gober.
Follow FuneralVision.com on LinkedIn.
Follow FuneralVision.com on Twitter.
Follow FuneralVision.com on Facebook.
