- Date Of Birth: June 11, 1920
- Date Of Death: October 5, 2015
- State: Idaho
Bill Parry died peacefully in his sleep at Grace Assisted Living on Monday, October 5, 2015. His wife Opal was at his bedside. Bill was 95 years old.
Bill was born in Yale, Iowa on June 11, 1920. He was the third child and second son of Frank Steven Parry and Ilda Mary Parry (Easley). The family moved to King Hill, Idaho and he graduated from King Hill High School in 1937.
While serving as the fire department’s training officer, Bill collected and traded fire department patches from around the United States and the world. Through his patch collection activities, he became pen pals with several fire fighters. Bill retired from the Boise Fire Department in September 1980. During retirement, he provided training for many small and volunteer fire departments in southern Idaho. He also traveled to Denmark to meet his fireman pen pal, Curt. Bill was a proud lifetime member of Boise Firefighter’s Local 149 Union. During his years with the Boise Fire Department, Bill had a second job at Boise Stone and Tile Co. He built many stone fireplaces in Boise homes during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Bill and Mary were active members of Sacred Heart parish.
Bill and Mary’s first child, William Franklin Parry, died soon after his birth in 1946. In January 1952, they had a second son, Steven Michael Parry.
Bill spent many years as a Boy Scout Troop leader for his son’s scout troops at Monroe and Sacred Heart.
Upon retirement, Bill took up golf and was proud to have made three holes in one. His other hobby was making intricate wooden animals and birdhouses which friends and family were delighted to receive as gifts. This hobby ended at the age of 85 when Bill severed two of his fingers on his left hand with his brand new table saw.
Bill was a devoted husband and father. His first wife, Mary Frances, owned the Four Seasons gift shop in downtown Boise. When Bill retired, he often helped Mary at the store. When Mary was diagnosed with cancer in 1985, Bill provided loving care and support for her until her death in 1995. Later, Bill met Opal May Turner and they were wed by Judge Ron Wilper in June 2004. Judge Wilper was one of Bill’s former scouts in Troop 31.
Bill and Opal enjoyed trips to Europe, Mexico, Australia and Alaska. They also took road trips throughout the United States and were especially fond of their hot air balloon ride over Boise. In June 2010, they were the first residents to move into the new Grace Assisted Living facility on Franklin Rd. Bill loved his patio and was delighted by the variety of birds that were attracted to his patio birdfeeder. Opal and Bill were regulars at the afternoon bingo game. Bill was an avid patron of the Boise Public Library and a fan of the Seattle Mariners and the Boise State Broncos.
Bill was preceded in death by his brother, Stephen Parry and his wife Rose; his sister, Doris Garner and her husband Ed; and his sister, Annabelle May. Bill is survived by his wife, Opal; his son, Steve Parry and his wife Carol Brassey; nieces, Bernice Tisdale (Jim), Carolyn Gregory; and nephews, David Taylor (Judy) and Marvin Taylor (Connie).
Bill and his family are forever grateful to Bernice and Jim Tisdale and their daughters, Sandra Tisdale and Marie Tisdale Mikesell. They treated Bill like a second father and were always there for him in good times and bad. The Parrys and the Tisdales shared many of life’s most important events together.
The family would also like to thank Dr. William Bollinger, Sorcha Cusak, PA, and the staff at St. Lukes Internal Medicine and St. Luke’s Hospice for all of their wonderful and thoughtful care in his last months. Bill was also grateful to the Elks Wound Center for the nine months of excellent care he received in 2014.
A very special thanks goes to the staff at Grace Assisted Living. A few days before his passing, Bill commented on how nice and caring the entire staff was at Grace. He particularly appreciated Brenda and Vanessa. Bill reminded people that he moved into Grace Assisted Living the day it opened and Brenda was there for him during his entire stay.
