William T. Pryce, 73; U.S. Ambassador to Honduras in 1990s

William T. Pryce, 73, a career foreign service officer who served as U.S. ambassador to Honduras from 1993 to 1996 and as senior director for Latin America at the National Security Council, died July 11 of pancreatic cancer at his home in Alexandria, Va.

Pryce worked closely with national security advisors Brent Scowcroft and Colin Powell in developing policy to deal with Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and on Operation Just Cause, the U.S. military intervention that removed Noriega from office. He also helped coordinate a quick transition from U.S. military occupation to Panamanian democracy.

He led efforts within the U.S. government in the late 1980s for a new strategy for dealing with Nicaragua, moving from a policy based on support for the Contras to one encouraging free and fair elections in 1990.

A native of San Diego, Pryce was the son of a naval officer.

He grew up in China and Hawaii and was on a ship bound for California when Pearl Harbor was attacked Dec. 7, 1941.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He served as a naval officer for three years before joining the foreign service in 1958.