Joan Price's Obituary
With unbearable sadness, we announce the death of Joan Jaramillo Price - a sister, mother, and grandmother - of Roy, Utah, at home, on November 25, 2025. Joan enthusiastically fought a short but fierce battle with cancer that she truly wanted to win to gain more time here with her family - the thing that meant most to her.
Joan was born on December 14, 1945, in Ogden, Utah to parents Thomas and Jean Hunter Jaramillo. She was raised in Washington Terrace and started a motherly role very early by taking care of her siblings, even making clothes for family members, in order to help her parents with her younger sisters while they worked. Paula says Joanie was the best sister ever. Joan would go on to marry Kenneth Price on March 29, 1969, in Elko, Nevada. Together Ken and Joan raised Joan’s two sons Rick and Doug, and later had their daughter Jackie.
Joan attended Bonneville High School and would become an employee of Hill Air Force Base as an electronics technician. Her career took her all over the United States and even abroad to places like Germany, Greece, and Japan to train others at military bases. She loved getting to experience all of this travel and wished she had done more. She would retire from Hill after a successful career to focus on being at home with family, which included traveling the U.S. for Ken’s construction work.
Joan was a member of the Catholic church, believing there was always a reason for everything and God always had a plan. She enjoyed attending Christmas Mass whenever she was able. Her personal life had a wide variety of interests with family always being first. She thoroughly enjoyed having her family over for summer barbecues, attending grandchildren’s sporting events and hearing about grandchildren (and great grandchildren’s) days, and simply just having conversations with family and friends in the comfort of her own home. Joan was also intrigued by watching gameshows (she really did like them all), astrology, horseracing (watching, not jockeying - unfortunately), trips to Wendover or Las Vegas to gamble at the slots and enjoy the buffets, and she was a proficient seamstress. Beyond making clothes for her siblings as a child, her passion for sewing included making Christmas pajamas for nieces and nephews and quilting. She enjoyed hosting and attending game nights with friends and family as well. Something she participated in, but did NOT enjoy, was the yearly deer hunt that she was dragged on by her family. Thank goodness she was a tolerant person. As she was a rule-follower and not a prankster herself, she thoroughly enjoyed the mischief her husband Ken would cause the family with his pranks. She loved them until she found full sets of Olive Garden silverware and a bottle of wine in her purse on the way out of dinner, that is.
Joan is survived by her son Richard (Wendy) Halling, and daughter Jackie (Jason) Empey. She leaves behind 8 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, and a couple of cats that were given to her by the Cat Distribution System that she very much loved. Joan is also survived by sisters Judith Syme, Mary (Scott) Caley, and Paula (Mike) Stewart, whom Joan loved more than anything. She also has numerous nieces and nephews that she loved just the same. Everyone left behind will forever cherish the way Joan made them feel welcome and loved no matter the circumstances. Joan was preceded in death by husband Kenneth, her beloved son Douglas Halling, granddaughter Ashley Halling, sister Jean Fox, brother Paul Krall, her parents, and her most memorable pets Buffy, Rosebud, and Abby, among many other animals from her life as well. We know the heavenly reunion will be filled with joy for those that are now with Joan.
Joan will be cremated per her requests and buried with husband Ken at West Weber Cemetery. There will be a graveside service/celebration of life at a later date.
Jackie would like to let everyone that was in Joan’s life, no matter if their role was big or small, know how much it means to all of the family that Joan was loved the way she was. We are so sad Joan had to endure the battle with cancer at the end of her life, but so thankful that her pain is over and that she was able to live a great life with purpose and care from so many.
What’s your fondest memory of Joan?
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Share a story where Joan's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Joan you’ll never forget.
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