Longtime city of Rochester neighborhood and youth advocate Nancy Johns-Price is being remembered for her tireless enthusiasm and decades of service.
Johns-Price died Wednesday. She was 65.
“Nancy shared her caring expertise and zest for life with countless community members and fellow city employees. We all feel the heavy weight of this loss,” Mayor Malik Evans said in a statement.
Evans described Johns-Price as a mentor, adding: “Her dedication to youth and to the Rochester community was so steadfast that I am just one of many lives she shaped for the better.”
Johns-Price retired from the city in 2021 after 36 years, but then rejoined the city as a part-time advisor to the mayor working on youth employment and neighborhood building. During her tenure she ran the Adams Street recreation center, helped create youth programs ranging from Biz Kids to Flower City AmeriCorps, and oversaw the City’s Southeast Neighborhood Service Center. Before coming to the city she worked on youth programs for Monroe County.
The city has scheduled in-person group and individual grief counseling for current city employees continuing into next week.
“Nancy has had an impact on this city that is far beyond measure,” Evans said. “Our hearts are broken, but even in our sadness, Nancy’s memory will brighten our days. Her unwavering enthusiasm and boundless positivity will continue to be a guiding light to all who knew her.”
