Lance Cpl. Jonathan K. Price

School Superintendent Alan Estes remembers Jonathan K. Price as a positive presence on his small campus _ well-respected and always busy. "He was a great kid in school, always smiling," Estes said. "He was a super kid to have around the building. He''ll be thoroughly missed in the community." Price, 19, of Woodlawn, Ill., was killed Jan. 13 by small-arms fire in Ramadi. A 2004 high school graduate, he was assigned to Camp Lejeune. He played baseball and golf, and was in the student council, Library Club and Spanish Club. He helped produce the yearbook and served as Homecoming Emcee during his senior year. Price also sang in the choir at Woodlawn Christian Church and was an Eagle Scout. His classmates voted him "Teacher''s Pet" and gave him the Spirit Award. "His life had touched so many throughout our small town; whether it was helping with a church project, umpiring a youth baseball game, or raising money for a worthy cause, Kyle was there," according to a school tribute site. He is survived by his stepfather John Hunsell, mother Cheryl Hunsell, father David Price, and fiancee, Brea Tate. ___ The high school in this tiny southern Illinois town will close Friday so students and staff can attend the funeral of a 2004 graduate killed last week in Iraq. Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan Kyle Price, 19, was on guard duty on Jan. 13 in Ramadi, Iraq, when he was killed, reportedly during combat. Price, who was set to return home on Feb. 20, was planning to marry his pregnant fiance. "He was just a great man," said Kelly Owens, a technology coordinator at Woodlawn High School. "He was a really important part of our community." Alan Estes, the high school''s superintendent, remembers Price as "a cooperative young man who had a goal and a purpose each day" as he walked, smiling, through the hallways. "You can''t have enough Kyle Prices in your school," Estes said. Shane Witzel, Price''s former baseball coach, called Price the consummate team player, "always willing to do whatever it took to make the team better." "He wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself," Witzel said. Around this community of 630 residents west of Mount Vernon, ribbons are tied to signs and posts _ yellow sashes signifying support for the U.S. war effort, black ones representing a fallen soldier. "There is a sense of togetherness here, a feeling of trust and caring for each other that you may not find in bigger towns or cities," Owens said. The high school''s Web site features a color photo of a uniformed Price against a black backdrop, along with other photos of Price as a student. An animated U.S. flag flutters at half-staff. Signers of the Web site''s guestbook include Price''s Spanish teacher, Debbie Wilson, who wrote that "if I were in any battle, I would have wanted Kyle by my side, and somewhere a mother is whispering a prayer of thanks that Kyle was there." ___ On the Net: Woodlawn High School: http://www.woodlawnhs.org/ -- School Superintendent Alan Estes remembers Jonathan K. Price as a positive presence on his small campus _ well-respected and always busy. "He was a great kid in school, always smiling," Estes said. "He was a super kid to have around the building. He''ll be thoroughly missed in the community." Price, 19, of Woodlawn, Ill., was killed Jan. 13 by small-arms fire in Ramadi. A 2004 high school graduate, he was assigned to Camp Lejeune. He played baseball and golf, and was in the student council, Library Club and Spanish Club. He helped produce the yearbook and served as Homecoming Emcee during his senior year. Price also sang in the choir at Woodlawn Christian Church and was an Eagle Scout. His classmates voted him "Teacher''s Pet" and gave him the Spirit Award. "His life had touched so many throughout our small town; whether it was helping with a church project, umpiring a youth baseball game, or raising money for a worthy cause, Kyle was there," according to a school tribute site. He is survived by his stepfather John Hunsell, mother Cheryl Hunsell, father David Price, and fiancee, Brea Tate.