Sally Joe Parry

Sally Joe Parry, 80 years young, passed into glory at her home in Auburn, Washington early on Sunday morning, June 30th, 2013. After years of bouncing back from pulmonary fibrosis, Sally’s generous heart quietly stopped in her sleep. Sally entered this world on March 13, 1933 in Ballard, Washington as the second youngest of six daughters born to Hattie Mittendorf and Archibald McCune: Janie Christoperson, Hazel Jobe, Leona Chestnut, Carol Backus, Sally, and Marilyn Breon. Sally attended Ballard high school, where she was known for her sense of humor and enthusiasm for dance and baton twirling. While working as an expediter at Boeing Aircraft Company in Seattle, Sally met Mark Parry, the love of her life.

Sally and Mark were married in November of 1959 and bought a house in Auburn, where they raised their two children, Joyce and Doug. Together, their family enjoyed camping, music, art, and Husky games. Sally’s greatest pride was in creating a lovely home and preparing nurturing meals (she had a special flair for baking cream puffs, pies and cinnamon rolls!). After Mark was taken suddenly by cancer at the age of 54, Sally devoted her living to the church, to volunteering at the local hospital, to her senior center, to her kind and loving neighbors (many of whom called her “grandma”) and to her own children and grandchildren.

A former opera singer and current Episcopal priest, Joyce gave Sally five grandchildren (two by birth and three through marriage) – Ariana Moore, Chris Frey, Emily Harvey, Peter Moore and Kiersten Bomford-Moore – and four great-grandchildren – Joel, Kale, Liam and Elena. A successful painter in Seattle and New York, Doug is Associate Professor of fine arts at DigiPen Institute of Technology. Doug tenderly cared for Sally during these final years of her life. Sally also loved all of her many nieces and nephews, and was especially close to Carol and Gus’ children, Steven, Christine and Kemone and their families.

Mom loved animals – her Pomeranian Fluffy, and Joyce’s dachshund, Hunter – and Sally especially cared for her garden, the “park” on Pike Street. Like her quirky expressions (“For corn’s sake!”) and her collection of John Wayne movies, Sally’s flowers will remind us of her bold presence forever.

Services will be held at 11 am on Saturday, July 27 at Auburn First United Methodist Church, at 100 N St Se, Auburn, (253) 833-3470. Those wishing to donate in Sally’s memory should direct funds to the Seattle Children’s Hospital, for children’s pulmonary disease research, at https://giveto.seattlechildrens.org/.