Eulogy
Claude Aaron Price, "Aaron" to most of us, was born on July 27, 1940 in San Bernardino, California. His very young years were spent in Upland, and the remainder of his childhood was spent in Riverside, where he graduated from Riverside Poly High School. He was welcomed into the world by his parents, Claude and Alma Price, sister Rue and brothers Monty and Bobby. As time went by, his family increased by three additional brothers, Gene, Larry and Rodney.
After graduating from high school, Aaron joined the Air Force. He served as a pharmacist's assistant in Germany, where he met George Dillard, who became his best friend, and remained so for the rest of his life.
Soon after returning from the Air Force, Aaron entered college on the G.I. Bill, working part time to support himself. Aaron was very intelligent, obtaining a perfect score on his math SAT test. He eventually graduated from Cal Poly, Pomona.
After graduating, he met and soon married Ruthie Lee Wolf. Although circumstances prevented them from being together for the final years of his life, Ruthie remained the one and only love of his life. They had two wonderful daughters, Claudia and Marie, whom Aaron adored and stayed close to all his life. He was proud of Claudia and the successful career she carved out for herself and of Marie for the amazing mother she is and for presenting him with two wonderful grandsons, Caden and Logan. Almost every week Aaron made the two-hour drive to Escondido to spend the day with Marie and the boys, then drove back home.
He always had stories about the boys to share with his sister Rue. He was also very fond of his son-in-law Shad, and appreciated that he was a loving husband to Marie and a great father to their sons.
Aaron spent most of his working years with TRW, where he was involved in their satellite program. He worked through the management ranks and was able to provide a good living for his family. TRW also provided Aaron and his family with opportunities to travel. They lived a number of years in Australia.
Aaron did love to travel, and was able to see much of the world with his daughters. Special trips included the Galapagos Islands with daughter Claudia, Singapore with daughter Marie, Europe with sister Rue and niece Staci, and China last year with his best friends George and Janet Dillard.
When speaking of Aaron, people always remark upon his subtle but hilarious sense of humor. His intelligence and quick wit, together with his quiet and unassuming nature, made him popular with all who knew him.
Aaron's caring nature is best illustrated by the care he gave his mother. When in high school, he worked part time and was able to purchase a car of sorts. He took his mother grocery shopping weekly and made sure she had transportation any time she needed it. Upon moving to the desert several years ago, he saw that his sister Rue was making frequent trips to Riverside to care for their aging mother. He immediately took over part of the responsibility for her care. When their mother became nearly blind, Aaron and Rue moved her to Cathedral City to a senior development two blocks from Aaron's condo and two miles from his sister's home. They shared responsibility for her, with Aaron taking over during the day. Each morning he went to her home and watched her favorite show, "The Price is Right," with her and made sure she had breakfast and lunch. On Wednesday mornings he escorted her to a community breakfast at the center, giving her an opportunity to associate with others. He also showed a movie at the center on Wednesday afternoons for her and her friends to enjoy. On Thursdays he took her with him to run errands and shop, and then treated her to a nice lunch. He was at her bedside three years ago when she passed away at the age of 90. Having Aaron for a son was one of his mother's greatest blessings.
In recent years, Aaron also reconnected with several friends from school and the Air Force, which was a great source of pleasure for him.
If anything positive can be said about the tragedy we are mourning today, it would be the way in which Aaron spent his final days. On the previous Wednesday, Aaron and Rue met Marie and his grandsons at a park in Murrieta, where they visited and played with the boys, then had lunch together. The following day Aaron traveled to Tucson, where he spent a few days with his best friends George and Janet, then spent a day and night at his niece Staci's home, where they finalized plans for a trip to Peru they were planning to take with Claudia in October. There were phone conversations with Claudia during that time. He also had plans to spend a week with Marie and family in Las Vegas in October. So, with the exception of personal contact with Claudia and Shad, Aaron's last days were probably spent pretty much as he would have chosen to spend them.
Aaron is preceded in death by his loving mother and his brothers Monty, Bobby and Larry. One thing is certain; Heaven became a better place when Aaron entered it.
--Written by sister, Rue Dean Doolin