Bruce Parrish

William Bruce Parrish, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 29, 2013, at the Lutheran Home.

He was born July 16, 1933, in Leesville, S.C., son of William Salter and Lillian Bruce Parrish.

Bruce attended High School in Cayce, S.C., Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., and the University of South Carolina in Columbia,

He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

While earning a master's degree in English at the University of Tennessee, he met and married Katherine E. Hornsby. They were married Oct. 26, 1962, in Knoxville, Tenn. They moved to Cape Girardeau in 1964, and both accepted teaching positions in the English department at Southeast Missouri State University. He continued his career with the university, serving as a role model and mentor for countless students until retiring in 1996.

He had a true passion for architecture, designing their home down to the very last detail. He also enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, and shared in his daughter's enthusiasm for animals, his favorite being the meerkat. He was a very kind-hearted man and will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

Loving survivors include his wife of 50 years, Katherine; a daughter and light of his life, Catherine "Leigh" Shoemaker (Tyson) of Cape Girardeau; a brother, James "Jim" Parrish (Mig) of Kailua, Hawaii; a brother-in-law, the Rev. Leroy McClendon (Mary) of Beaverton, Ala.; several nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his devoted and much loved cat, Misty.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating. Entombment will be in Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum with military rites to be presented.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary or the University of South Carolina.

The family wishes to thank the caring nurses, CNAs, and other staff from the Lutheran Home for taking such good care of Mr. Parrish over the last 18 months.

Online condolences may be made at fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.