Mr. James Samuel Parrish

James Samuel Parrish, 75, of Vista California, passed away September 14, 2013. James Samuel Parrish was born to Kathleen Hood and James Parrish on May 6, 1938 in Detroit Michigan. He was the youngest of five siblings. Besides being the baby of the family, he was the only son; can you imagine how much he must have been spoiled. Two of his sisters, Mae (3 years old) and Betty Ann (10 months old) died in 1931 from Polio and Scarlett Fever. The family was devastated. James' older sisters, June and Maurice, spent a great deal of time caring for their younger brother whom everyone affectionately called Jimmie. From what I understand, Jimmie, the adolescent, was quite a handful. He had a slight truancy problem, and was the go-to person on the block if anyone was in trouble. Those early difficult years formed the perseverance, character, and resilient spirit that later in life served to forward his career, establish lasting bonds of friendship, and developed a love of family and God beyond compare. The family moved from California to Texas in time for Jimmie to attend high school at Southwestern Bible College. Having just recently giving his heart to the Lord, he intensely followed the calling on his life to preach the gospel. His first sermon was at 16 on the front steps of the college dormitory. His love for the Lord was so strong that he and three other boys formed a quartet and traveled the South hosting tent revivals and relying on the kindness of Godly people to sustain them. One of the gentlemen he traveled with, Dan Robinson, had a son whom Dad mentored; that's how long he would hold a friend. With all that preaching, Jimmie still found time to cause an uproar now and then. His humor, quick wit, and infectious laugh made him the life of the party even if he wasn't there yet. Stories have been circulating about times when he drag raced his 1957 Chevy Bel Air with fellow school mates in the car, and still beat that brand new Plymouth by three car lengths. Or the time, while living in the dormitory, he and a friend tied all the across hall door knobs together preventing anyone from exiting their rooms and setting off the fire alarm. And though it sounds hard to believe, he and a group of friends somehow carried a small foreign car to a set of pillars on campus and balanced it on top. It was a good thing Jimmie was so close to the Lord, because he certainly tested his patience. He worked several jobs and put himself through college at Southwestern studying theology. He recalled one job where he had to clean, in the Texas heat, the inside of huge metal containers, or another where he machined dyes. He also attended Texas State University and would frequently drive groups of his friends from Texas to California and back again during Spring and Winter breaks. One particular Winter, Dad, who was driving four young ladies back to college, (what a gentleman) found themselves trapped in a sudden blizzard on the Texas border. It became so treacherous that the ladies became spotters for him while he was driving, two perching themselves on the hood of the car to try to keep him on the highway. They made it to the next town, and were graciously housed by a church family whom Dad spoke to at a small café where the group was having dinner. He was often offered room and board on his many escapades after a total stranger became a dear friend. Jimmie moved back to Los Angeles to be close to family and established an Assembly of God church in Corona California. He also helped establish several churches up the West coast. At this time he also held a career as a machinist where he worked at Rocketdyne, building parts for the F-1 engines that powered the Saturn V first stage rockets, and the J-2 rockets that powered its second stage. He also machined all the injectors on the rocket engines that took the Apollo 7 space shuttle into space. Apollo 7 was the 1st manned shuttle to make a lunar orbit. During this time he met Janet Clemmons, they fell in love and were married. In 1967 he was given an opportunity to work overseas where he helped establish light industry for the Saudi Arabian Government, and then returned to the states where he accepted a position as Vice President of Operations for Armorlite in San Marcos California which later was sold to 3M. He focused on his career, and attended San Diego State University and studied Finance. In 1973 his first daughter, Leanna, was born, and in 1978 his second daughter, Eden, came along. James adored his family and strived to always provide financially and spiritually for them. He would often pull the girls out of school and take them to far-away places: Africa, Brazil, France, Germany, and England to name a few. While on one of these trips, he came close to purchasing a large hotel in France. Instead, he bought a Peugeot, which he later shipped back to the United States where it became his main means of transportation for many years. He also taught a bible study at Vista Assembly of God where members affectionately recall him rolling up in his white Cadillac with red leather interior, always dressed to the nines. Later he was contacted by the U.S. State Department to lead the Defense Conversion Program of heavy industrial military installation for the Czech and Slovak Republics. He became the Country Director for Slovakia, supervising the United States Foreign Aid investments into Slovakia's industries, municipalities, and university systems. Throughout his career in Eastern Europe he worked on projects in Lithuania, Bosnia, and Macedonia. Dad eventually retired from the business world in 2001 from the interim CEO position of the largest chemical facility in Romania so he could pursue his true love, ministry. He had many hobbies. He loved to sail and eventually joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He rode horseback and loved to ski. He was a private pilot and would fly passengers for the cost of gas and plane rental. He was so proficient at baking and took first place in the La Mesa Assembly of God bake-off much to the chagrin of the long standing matriarchal winners for his triple layered espresso hazelnut chocolate torte. Above all James had a passion for ministry. He joined the Peace Corps where he traveled to Africa helping others and also helped develop a community's hospital, water system, and housing facilities. He was heavily involved in ministry and after retiring from finance became a fully licensed minister with the Assemblies of God. He was the associate pastor for Palomar Heights Church and helped revive a struggling church in Ramona. Dad passed his passion for life on to his family and friends. He was an exceptional father and an amazing grandfather. He always supported his family and attended every practice and every game, whether it was baseball, football, cheer, dance, soccer, or basketball, Dad was there. He helped the kids learn how to swim and ride a bike and taught them the value of hard work and education. His greatest legacy was his love of the Lord which he passed on to his family. He was our pillar and we loved him greatly.

Mr. James Samuel Parrish

May 6, 1938 - September 14, 2013