Frances "Emmy" Parrish

Frances E. Parrish September 9, 1926 - January 14, 2016 Frances “Emmy” Parrish of Waco passed away Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. Her Memorial Service will be 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23, at First Baptist Church with Dr. Matt Snowden officiating. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 22, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey. Emmy was born Sept. 9, 1926, in Gastonia, North Carolina, to Maxie and Vida Thomas. She grew up in nearby Spencer Mountain and Gastonia. She was a graduate of the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina in Greensboro and Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth. At the seminary she met and fell in love with Tom Parrish. They married in 1951 and later lived in Plainview, Texas. Along with their two boys, they moved to Waco in 1963 and became deeply involved in their community and church, where they made many lifelong friends. Emmy taught in the Waco public schools for more than 20 years, pioneering and specializing in elementary remedial reading. She loved the natural world, especially flowering plants and birds. Always energetic and friendly to everyone, she was a Baylor Trip Camp counselor and a founding member and president of the Huaco Outing Club. Emmy helped organize and lead many summer camping and backpacking trips. With her equally enthusiastic friends she enjoyed hiking the Grand Canyon, Appalachian Trail, and other rugged wilderness areas. Emmy was a devoted member of First Baptist Church for many years. She taught a women’s Sunday school class and served as one of the church’s first female deacons. She also taught the Centex Class and was honored as the Senior Adult of the Year. She was especially committed to FBC’s international programs, teaching ESL classes, mentoring Baylor international graduate students, and leading mission trips to Jamaica and Guatemala. Emmy is survived by her husband, Tom Parrish; her sons, Mike Parrish and wife, Julibeth; and Maxey Parrish and wife, Susanne, all of Waco; her grandchildren, Annabeth Parrish, Mary Parrish-Iles and husband, Herman Iles, and Ted Parrish; and her cousins, Paul and Stephen Wells. The family expresses heartfelt gratitude to the loving caregivers of Nurses Unlimited, especially Stacy Williams, D’Ann Martin, and Lindy Amaro, and to Dr. Ofobuike Okani and the staff of Texas Oncology. Memorials may be made to the Tom Z. and Frances E. Parrish Endowed Scholarship Fund at Baylor University, One Bear Place #97050, Waco, TX 76798, or a charity of your choice. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.