William Allen “Bill” Parson (copy)

MORGANTOWN

William Allen “Bill” Parson, 70, passed away Monday morning, June 13, 2016, at the Brown County Health & Living Community in Nashville. He was a resident of Morgantown.

Bill was born in Martinsville on Nov. 26, 1945, to the late Donald W. and Louise (Green) Parson.

He attended school in Morgantown and went on to serve as a Lance Corporal with the 2nd Battalion 4th Marine Division of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was wounded July 24, 1966, in the Quang Tri Provence, Vietnam during Operation Hastings. Bill was awarded a Purple Heart.

Bill married Rae Jean Fitch on March 2, 1968, in Brown County.

He retired in 1996 from the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 103 as a heavy equipment operator after 10 years of service. Prior to that, Bill worked for International Harvester in Franklin and Ryder Canning Factory in Trafalgar.

Bill was a member of the Goshen Church in Brown County and the Brown County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6195. He also was a member and past vice commander of the Brown County Vietnam Veterans, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and a longstanding member of the Brown County Honor Guard.

Bill was much loved by family and friends and will be sorely missed. He thoroughly enjoyed children, especially his grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Bill also loved riding his motorcycle and working on his tractor. He especially liked trying all kinds of food and often planned vacations based on various restaurants and food festivals.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Rae Jean; children, William Allen (Deborah) Parson II of Anderson and Eric D. (girlfriend, Bev) Parson of Columbus; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; siblings, Donald Parson of Morgantown, Richard (Karen) Parson of Martinsville, Mary Lou (Leonard) Casey of Radcliff, KY, Sheron (Kenneth) Elkins of Brown County, Virginia Perry of Brown County, Sue Ellis of Martinsville, Joyce Kemp of Morgantown and Judith (Steve) Crider of Sarasota, Florida.

Bill was preceded in death by siblings, Patricia Arnold, Barbara Badgley, Lewis, John and James Parson.

The Revs. Ed Tharpe and John Hrynk will conduct a funeral service at 11 a.m. Friday at Meredith-Clark Funeral Home Cremation & Personalization Center, 179 E. Mulberry Street in Morgantown. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be at East Hill Cemetery in Morgantown with military rites presented by the Brown County Honor Guard.

Memorial contributions may be sent in honor of Bill to the Purple Heart Foundation, P.O. Box 49, Annandale, VA 22003.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be made to the Parson family at meredith-clark.com.

Information: 812-597-4670.