John V. Parrish

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 22, 2006

HOPKINSVILLE – John Vernon Parrish, 85, died at 9:30 p.m. Feb. 18, 2006, at Jennie Stuart Medical Center.

The Christian County native was a mechanic and worked for Ford, Sisk Motor Co., Williams Chevrolet and Bailey Walker Garage. He chartered the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union in Bowling Green and was a member for over 50 years. After joining the IBEW around 1951, he worked in construction in Kentucky, Ohio and New York. He moved to Bowling Green in 1970 and retired in 1982 after renovation of the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant. Mr. and Mrs. Parrish moved back to Hopkinsville in 1991 to be near relatives and friends of their generation. He was also a member of Concord Baptist Church for 34 years. He was a son of the late John Esmud Parrish and Erma Jones Parrish West. He was preceded in death by his stepfather, Riley West; and two sons, James Howard and Mark Vernon Parrish.

Funeral is at 2 p.m. Friday at Hughart & Beard Funeral Home, with burial in Riverside Cemetery. Visitation is at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Survivors include his wife, Marjorie L. Calvin Parrish; two sons, John Edward Parrish of Auburn and Joseph Noel Parrish of Rochelle, Ill.; two daughters, Katherine Lynn Smith of Henderson, Colo., and Judith Ann Miller of Cecilia; two half brothers, Sterling and Clark West, both of Christian County; three half sisters, Angie Rogers, Rosa Lee and Linda Matthew, all of Christian County; five grandchildren, Mary K. Parrish Duke and Benjamin J. Parrish, both of Bowling Green, and Stephanie Hale, Amanda Miller and Samantha Parrish of Rochelle, Ill.; and four great-grandchildren.