George Parrish

George Walter Parrish, 93, passed away Jan. 5, 2012 at his home in Oklahoma City. George was born Nov. 10, 1918, in Aurora, Ill., to Ida D. and James N. Parrish. His father died before George was born, and he was raised by his mother and uncles Louis, Ed and Arthur. His sister Mary Margaret Roland preceded him in death. George attended Sacred Heart School and Marmion Military Academy near Chicago. He enlisted in the Army and worked in the Signal Corps in North Africa and Italy during WWII. While in North Africa, he met his future bride, Virginia, a WAAC who was serving in the Fifth Army headquarters. They wed upon returning to the states and were married for 36 years until Virginia died in 1982. They had four children: George, Carol, Jim and Bill. George worked for Western Electric before the war and returned to work for the company as a supervisor after his service. George and Virginia lived in numerous states while he worked for Western Electric, finally moving to Oklahoma in 1958. George attended Blackwood Business College and graduated with a real estate and broker’s license. For many years he had his own part-time business, Parrish Realty, selling houses in Oklahoma City. George was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1857, where he was a past commander and the national chairman of the Voice of Democracy program. George was a volunteer Oklahoma County deputy sheriff for many years, helping with interstate prisoner transfers. He also was a longtime member of the Elks Lodge, No. 417. George’s second love of his life was Ouida Dwyer, who also preceded him in death in 2001. George loved golf and won many company tournaments and had two hole-in-ones in his life. When he retired from Western Electric, after 40 years of service, he was a proud member of the Telephone Pioneers of America. He loved to travel, and he loved his family above all. George is survived by his son George, his wife Patti and their children, Virginia, George Patrick, Janelle and Leslie, Leslie’s husband Tom and their children Tommy, Miranda, Brody ad Blake; his daughter Carol, her son Edward and his sons Ryan and Christopher, her daughter Susan Armstrong and her husband Charles and their daughters Megan, Regan and Erin; his son Jim; his son Bill and his daughters Morgan and Willow, Willow’s husband Scott and their daughter Lydia; his stepchildren Richard Shewmake, his son Richard and wife Cindy and their daughters Rebecca and Abigail, his daughter Virginia Powell and her husband Wes and their children Ayden and Addison; Karen Pierce and her sons Patrick, Robert and Christopher; Aleisa Rhoades and her husband Ty and their daughters Stacey Dean, her husband Scott and their son Jonah, Stefane Green, her husband Louis and their sons Dalton and Bo, and Julie Rhoades; Patricia Pemberton and her husband Brad and their children Bradley Chase II, Caele and Jaesen; as well as many other relatives and friends. Thank you George for being a truly great dad.

Arrangements under the direction of Guardian Funeral Homes West Chapel, Oklahoma City, OK.