“It’s no fun hugging yourself,” Wanda Price said in an interview with The Banner nearly 28 years ago. To California Baptist University, Price was a jack-of-all-trades and a master of them all.
Price, who died Dec. 7, 2016, at age 87, leaves behind a legacy at CBU that will forever be plated atop the café in the Eugene and Billie Yeager Center. Wanda’s Place, a legacy that is more than just a coffee shop, serves as a reminder of how much Price cared for the students of CBU.
After beginning her career at CBU in 1965, Price began her journey of 47 years of service to the campus and the community within it. Beginning as the nursery director, Price followed wherever she was called, from student center director to alumni consultant, with many jobs in between.
Through her years of service, Price made many connections, not only with faculty but with students.
“She would just step up wherever she was needed or wanted,” Gail Ronveaux, director of Alumni and Parent Relations in the Office of University Advancement told the Banner in 2014.
In 2010, Price was honored as the longest-serving employee in CBU history and she continued her service with CBU until 2011. For her 80th birthday, the Wanda Price Scholarship Fund was founded, designated for students with financial needs. Price was always willing to give, even after her passing.
Students continue to feel the impact price had on their lives daily. Chris Pearce, senior business administration major, said he remembers Price daily.
“I didn’t start school at CBU until Wanda Price had retired, but I remember her and the great influence she had on so many students and staff here,” Pearce said.
“(She was) such a great person whose legacy can live on through the actions of those who take their journey here, just as she did.”
A celebration of life will be held Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. at Magnolia Church, where the family asked that donations be made to the Wanda Price Scholarship Fund in lieu of flowers.
Price, who loved the Lord dearly, made it her mission to love others as God has loved us. Price is survived by her daughter Roberta, son Lowell, four grandchildren, her great-granddaughter and her younger sister Roberta.
Price has a legacy that will forever live on in the
spirit of CBU whether that be at Wanda’s Place, through acts of service and the scholarship fund left in her name to help inspire incoming and existing students for many years to come.
