Vidor High students and staff mourn the death of longtime teacher

Students, faculty, and staff at Vidor High School are remembering a beloved teacher who taught at the school for 37 years. Judson Price was diagnosed with cancer and died after returning to school following the Christmas break. Friends and colleagues say Price's legacy is the many students he influenced during his teaching career.

Most of the students, teachers, and faculty that walk the halls of Vidor High School say they can feel the void. It's the smile they'll no longer see, the laughter fallen silent, the support cut off with the death of their beloved teacher Jud Price.

Jay Killgo is the Vidor High's Principal he said, "everyone who's been through Vidor High School in the last 37 years has been touched by Mr. Price."

Killgo says no one was prepared for Price's death from cancer February 4th. He'd been diagnoised less than a month earlier. Killgo says Price was making plans to retire after 37 years, "he emailed me and told me because of his health problems he had thought a lot about it and he had decided he wanted to retire and enjoy that time."

Price joined the Vidor High staff when he was only 21 years old. Killgo says through the years the math teacher gained a reputation as a leader among his peers. He would spend countless hours tutoring students and hardly missed a day of school. In fact he'd built up 250 days of vacation.

Killgo says Price was a fixture at the school. He'd been there long enough to see some of his former students become teachers. "I have seen him come in on several occasions with pictures of teachers when they were in his class, some of our longtime teachers had him as a teacher."

Killgo says Price was brilliant, dedicated, and committed to the education of his students. On more than one occasion Killgo would seek advice from Price about staffing concerns. He says students and teachers all valued his opinion. Killgo says, "Mr. Price we appreciate everything you've done for Vidor High School and we thank you for your commitment to excellence and we thank you for the time we got to spend with you... and we are all going to miss you very much."

School ended early Monday to allow students and faculty to attend Price's funeral. He was 58 years old. he is survived by his wife and two children.