Dr George Edward Price
1934–2012
After a courageous battle with leukemia, Dr George Price passed away at Vancouver General Hospital on 19 October 2012.
George was born in Winnipeg, but his family moved to Victoria where he attended high school. He later graduated from the University of Chicago and then attended UBC medical school, graduating in 1959.
He went on to enjoy an illustrious career in many of the different fields of opportunity that medicine offers. George was a very highly regarded clinician at Vancouver General Hospital. He was in great demand as a rheumatologist and because of his expertise and interest in acute internal medicine. What separated him from many others in our profession were his special abilities in the parallel areas of medical administration, research, writing, and teaching.
Those of us practising at UBC Hospital in the early 1980s were privileged to work in a setting that served as an example of how well a hospital could be managed when a straight-thinking, practical administrator with firsthand knowledge of patient care was in charge. George later took on the challenge of running the King Fahad National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was there during the hectic and dangerous era of deployment of US armed forces in the Gulf War. After his term was completed, he returned to Vancouver and resumed an active clinical practice.
George was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying many of the opportunities that BC offers. He was also a great supporter of many nonprofit and charitable organizations, including the Arthritis Society, the BC Rehab Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC, of which he was an honorary director.
George is survived by his wife Dianne; son Bryan (Lori); grandsons Colin, George, and Scott Roderick; and his daughter Megan. They, and all of us who knew and benefited from his generosity, strength, wisdom, and friendship, will miss him greatly.
—BD