Buddy Parrish

Buddy E. Parrish, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, July 24, 2016, at his home.

He was born Feb. 28, 1929, at Palmersville, Tennessee, to Yancy B. and Hilda G. Pentecost Parrish.

He and Marsha M. Savers were married Nov. 20, 1971.

He grew up on the family farm in northwest Tennessee near Cottage Grove. In 1966, he bought farmland in Tennessee and became a "weekend farmer," raising a small acreage of soybeans, corn and beefalo cattle. The farm was sold in 2008.

Parrish graduated from Cottage Grove High School in 1947.

He was inducted into the U.S. Army on Nov. 21, 1950, serving during the Korean conflict as a corporal, stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and an instructor of light infantry weapons. He received an honorable discharge Nov. 21, 1952.

After his discharge, he worked at the atomic plant in Paducah, Kentucky, until 1955, when he went to college at Memphis State University, graduating in 1958.

He was a senior sales specialist with the Upjohn pharmaceutical company (which later became part of Pfizer) for 31 years, working in Mattoon, Illinois, for 10 years. He then transferred to Cape Girardeau, retiring in 1990. In the '70s and '80s, he won five national sales awards.

He was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church; the Harold O. Grauel Masonic Lodge 672, receiving his 50-year pin in 2010; the Masonic York Rite bodies; and a charter member of the Cape Shrine Club. He also was affiliated with Cape Rock Chapter 60, Order of the Eastern Star; Elks Lodge 639; and Troop 2, Boy Scouts of America as an assistant scoutmaster for a number of years.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years; daughters, Tammy Parrish (Jim Heirbaut) of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Pene (Chris) Schrock of Mattoon; a grandson, Hunter Allen Parrish of Cape Girardeau; granddaughters, Ella Heirbaut of Amsterdam and Jennifer Ronstadt of Mattoon; a brother, Ted L. Parrish of Cottage Grove, Tennessee; and a sister, Mary Carrell of Paducah, Kentucky.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Shawn Parrish, in 2007; and two sisters, Sue Elliott and Pat Miller.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

Funeral service will be at 9 a.m. Friday at Centenary United Methodist Church. A one-hour visitation will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. Friday at Ridgeway Funeral Home in Paris, Tennessee, followed by a graveside service at 3:30 p.m. at Walker Cemetery near Cottage Grove.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 2001 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131-3597.

Online condolences may be sent to Ford and Sons Funeral Home at fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.