Phillip Wayne Price

1937 - 2012

Phillip Wayne Price, CPA, MBA, passed away Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Crystal River, Fla. He was born to Ervin Charles Price and Mabel Tison Price in St. Petersburg on May 7, 1937. He is survived by his sons, Richard, Chuck, Phillip and Danny, as well as brothers, Jim (Florence) and Bill (Trish), grandchildren, Kimberly and Victoria; and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Patricia Wade.
Phil received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida, with a major in accounting and economics and Masters of Business Administration degree from Florida State University, where he attended law school. He was a senior cost accountant with Honeywell and NASA from 1964 to 1967. From 1967 to 1971, he was with Ernst & Young in Tampa, one of the largest public accounting firms in the world. After leaving Ernst, Phil moved to Crystal River where he became the first certified public accountant and has been providing tax and consulting services for more than 40 years. He published numerous articles in CPA Today and was a member of the FSU Accounting Conference Board, AICPA and FICPA.
As a community leader, Phil helped shape Crystal River in the early years and never lost his passion for being a dedicated activist for the city and its taxpayers. Phil always felt a sense of accountability for the city of Crystal River and was relentless in his civic duty to the community that he loved and called his home for most of his life. He worked diligently as president and member of the City Council and served several terms as president, treasurer and board member of the Crystal River Chamber of Commerce. Phil was the vice chairman of the first March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon in the county in 1972 and a strong supporter of the Key Training Center. He was elected ""Person of the Year"" by the three area unified chambers in 1992.
By his family, Phil was known as a loving, devoted father who provided his children with more than they could have ever asked for. He loved attending Florida State football games with his family, traveling to destinations such as the Bahamas, Las Vegas, Costa Rica and the Blue Ridge Mountains. He enjoyed gardening, especially growing tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
There will be a celebration of life gathering for Phil from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, in the Sabal Ballroom of the Plantation Inn, Crystal River. All are welcome.
In lieu of flowers the family respectfully asks donations be sent in Phil's honor to the Key Training Center. Donations are accepted online at www.keytrainingcenter.org/info/donate.