James Parrish

James Lee Parrish left his earthly home for a heavenly one on November 29, 2018. He was born to Clella Irene (Nichols) and Ray Holland Parrish on October 19, 1937 in Pampa, Texas, Their only child. He graduated from Pampa High School. He attended Texas Tech and graduated with a B.S. and M.S. in mathematics and a minor in chemistry. He was in the Air Force ROTC and served three years in the 1 ^st Aerospace Control Squadron. This was at Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. He was in SPADATS-responsible for tracking all manmade objects in space-predicting the motion of each object from launch to decay or recovery.

His first job after the Air Force was with Space Technology Labs which soon became a part of TRW Inc. He worked for them providing technical support in Redondo Beach, California and NASA in Houston on manned space flights and at the USAF Satellite Test Center in Sunnyvale, California on top secret projects.

When the space project started to wane (1971) he switched careers and attended law school at SMU in Dallas. Upon graduation in December of 1973, he was hired by Exxon and worked for them for twenty four years in corporate law. He retired as General Counsel of Exxon Chemical Americas and Assistant General Counsel of Exxon Chemical Company.

He was married to Meredith Ann (Brooks), also from Pampa, for just short of 60 years. Together they lived in six states, moved cross country nine times and bought and sold 11 houses across the U.S. A. -a corporate migrant.

Jim was a lifelong sports fan-it started with baseball as a child in Pampa listening to Harry Carey on the radio and following the St. Louis Cardinals. Then Pampa got a minor league team (The Oilers) and Jim spent all his free time at the ballpark. He followed football (but was never a Cowboys fan), baseball (Astros), golf, tennis, ice hockey (Dallas Stars). He followed soccer when he retired (European Soccer League) and don’t forget Lance Armstrong and Tour de France cycling!

Jim was big reader-all kinds of books. He loved music and had a nice size collection of CD’s thanks to his son Tim’s help. A favorite activity in retirement was taking a subject and “researching” it on the internet. He liked putting together a “talk” and presenting it at church on a Sunday evening. Jim was a faithful member of the Church of Christ from his late teens.

Jim was a Texan and lamented that his two sons were not born in Texas. One was born at the USAF Academy hospital and the other was born in California. However, his three grandchildren were born in Texas!

His survivors include his wife, Meredith, two sons Tim and his wife Elizabeth Spiller and his children: Samantha and Matthew and a son Jon and his daughter Madeline.

Jim will be remembered as a good, honest Christian man. He thought the 1950’s was the “height of civilization”, old men should not wear short pants (they have ugly legs) and you should go where they want to send your paycheck.”

Friends he made in retirement described him as a brainy gentlemen, deep thinker, and always having a smile and greeting you as a best friend. A co-worker said he was one who “doesn’t suffer fools gladly” He loved his family and they loved him.

A visitation will be held from 7:00-9:00 pm on Monday, December 3, 2018 at Allen Family Funeral Options. Funeral services will be held in the chapel at Allen Family Funeral Options on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 11:00 am with Jerry King presiding. Jim will be laid to rest at Restland Memorial Park in Dallas, immediately following the funeral service.