Susan Elson Price

Susan Ruth Elson Price, 81, of Cape Coral, Florida, passed away under the compassionate care of Hope Hospice and her family on January 11, 2026, succumbing to a number of health concerns that she battled for many years. Born on June 8, 1944, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Gerald Alfred Joseph and Virginia Ruth (Kishpaugh) Elson.

Susan grew up with a love of learning and athletics, graduating from Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio in 1962. She attended The Ohio State University and earned Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1966 while being a member of the Chi Omega Sorority. While teaching at her alma mater in Toldeo, she met the love of her life, James Edward Price. They married on June 14, 1969, and moved to Miami, Florida later that year, where they became parishioners of Saint Thomas Episcopal Church. She was an active participant in many of the groups within the church. In 1973, Susan and Jim joined the Peace Corps and spent a transformative year serving in San Jose, Costa Rica.

After years of trying to grow their family, Susan and Jim welcomed their first child, Gabriel Charles, on August 6, 1981, in Miami, Florida. Abigail Ruth joined the family on February 9, 1983, following a move to Oxnard, California. The Prices returned to Miami and Susan continued her career as a Physical Education teacher and member of the professional fraternity Delta Psi Kappa. She led the Safety Patrol and her students raised funds for the American Heart Association through the Jump Rope for Heart program. She coached and mentored countless elementary students in and outside of school throughout her years of teaching, inspiring many and creating lifelong friendships that endure to the present day.

On August 24, 1992, the Prices survived Hurricane Andrew, a devastating Category 5 storm that destroyed their home with the family huddled under couches inside. They lived in FEMA trailers in the backyard and were without power for 4 months. Despite these challenges, Susan, Jim, and their nephew Bob Midlam renovated and rebuilt the family home from the studs. Unfortunately, the trauma of this storm revisited when their Cape Coral home was severely damaged in Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022, but she was able to spend time in her newly remodeled home.

Never one to stop learning, Susan earned a Master’s Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Florida International University in 1998. She went on to teach English as a Second Language at West Miami Middle School, touching the lives of a new generation of students from diverse backgrounds and sponsoring many school organizations.

The Prices bought a summer home near Rocky Fork Lake in Hillsboro, Ohio in 2004. It was known as the “Flip Flop Inn” and later “Camp Gramma”, it became a cherished gathering place for family and friends filled with laughter and love. She and Jim joined Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church in Hillsboro and were members until selling their Ohio home in 2021.

Susan retired in 2010 and she and Jim moved from Miami to Cape Coral to be closer to their beloved granddaughters. She remained enagaged in her community, joining Saint Hilary’s Episcopal Church in Fort Myers, where she continued to be involved in Episcopal Church Women, Daughters of the King, and Cursillo. She also volunteered at Littleton Elementary and with Girl Scout Troop 305, and stayed busy with a number of organizations including the Red Hat Cruisers, Delta Kappa Gamma, Florida Retired Educators Association, and Cape Coral Social Club.

Susan was a fighter and it showed through many challenges in her life. She was a two time breast cancer survivor, and suffered with a litany of health issues later in life, persisting strongly and stubbornly.

Susan was known by many names: Sue, Scooter, Mrs. Coach, Ms. Price, Aunt Sue, Mamma Price, and Gramma, among others. Each represents a different chapter of her life and the many people who loved her. She had a heart of gold and a gift for teaching that extended far beyond the classroom. Her students, family, and friends carry her lessons with them to the present day.

Susan carried a special light and inimitable personality that she shared with the world. There was only one Mamma Price. Her legacy is one of kindness, service, resilience, devotion, and boundless love. She will be deeply missed and forever fondly remembered by all who were fortunate enough to cross her path. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim on June 28, 2024, and by her brother and sister-in-law, Peter and Martha Elson.

Susan is survived by her two loving children, Gabriel Charles Price and Abigail Ruth Price Montgomery; three siblings, Ellen Kilgore and her husband, Tom, Jeff Elson and his wife, Merri and Julie Miller and her husband, Mark; three grandchildren, Kayley Frances, Madilyn Sue and Scarlett Ruth (Price) Montgomery; her chosen family, Marie, Jeffrey, Ricardo, and Deborah Alexis and chosen granddaughter Caroline Margolis; as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Saint Hilary’s Episcopal Church, 5011 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida. A reception will follow in Browning Hall.

A Memorial Service will also be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, 5690 North Kendall Drive, Coral Gables, Florida 33156. A reception will follow in Rantz Hall.

Susan will be laid to rest alongside her beloved Jim at Caballero Rivero Woodlawn South, Miami, Florida in a private ceremony.