1935
Joan
2015
Joan Parrish
March 24, 1935 — June 7, 2015
Joan P. Parrish, passed away peacefully on June 7, 2015, at St. Johnsbury Health & Rehab, where she had resided for the past two years. For over 15 years, she fought a brave, painful battle from Parkinson's disease.
Joan was born March 24, 1935 in Beecher Falls, Vermont, the daughter of Arthur (Burns) Paquette and Geraldine (Fissette) Paquette. She graduated from Canaan Memorial High School in 1952. On October 2, 1954 she married the love of her life, Richard A. (Dick) Parrish, and shortly after they were married they moved to St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Dick predeceased her on December 4, 1982. Joan continued to live in St. Johnsbury until she moved to Lyndonville, Vermont in 2001; she returned to St. Johnsbury in 2011 when her health started to decline. She formerly attended St. Andrews Episcopal Church and during the last two years she enjoyed attending the monthly Union Baptist Church services at the Rehab.
Throughout her years, Joan held many jobs, all of which interacted with people. Among those jobs were working at Reed Insurance Agency, Maple Grove, Bell Telephone Company, Peck Hardware, Capitol Stationers and her last job as the switchboard operator at NVRH, retiring from there in September, 1998.
Following Dick's death, Joan was the rock for her family, all of whom she loved unconditionally. Traditions for holidays and birthdays were always especially important to her. She will be lovingly remembered for too many things to remember, among them being her famous donuts (having acquired the nickname "the Donut Lady", her Christmas coffee cakes, cream-filled chocolate cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, cooking Saturday lunches and desserts for anyone who stopped in, playing Scrabble and cribbage, doing jigsaw puzzles; she was always ready to lend a helping hand if she could. The Paquette family reunions were also important to her. Joan loved dogs and cats; her cats, Cassie & Neka were comforting companions to her.
Joan is survived by four children. Her daughter, Karen (David) Shields, (230 Kitchel Hill, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819), son, Michael (Debra) Parrish, (20 Brunelle ST, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819), son, Randall (Wanda) Parrish, (1162 North Danville RD, Danville, VT 05828), and son, Wendell (Julie) Parrish, (601 Rte 2B, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819). She is also survived by 5 grandchildren, Rebecca Schoenemann, Olivia Shields, Melissa (Matthew) Peters, Hillary Parrish and Hailey Parrish, 5 step grandchildren, Pam Galvin, Katie (Sam) Eberle, Joseph Bouffard, Tucker Bouffard and Nicole (Kyle) Borey, 8 great and step-great-grandchildren, Zachary, Nathaniel, Liam, Tehya, Noah, Miles, Kayla and Dylan. She is also survived by her only sibling, a sister, Bernadine Dubois of Conway, NH and her sister-in-law, Audrey Parrish of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, along with several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Besides her husband, Dick, she was also predeceased by her parents, Burns and Geraldine Paquette, her in-laws, Rex Parrish and Mina Parrish, her brother-in-law, Gordon Dubois, and Dick's brothers and sisters, Robert Stimpson, George Parrish, Doris Graham, Arlene Parker and Charles Parrish.
Per Joan's wishes there will be no calling hours and burial will be held at a later date in the Stewartstown Hollow Cemetery in Stewartstown, New Hampshire.
A Time of Remembrance will be held Saturday, June 13, 2015 beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Wendell's home, 601 Rte. 2B, St. Johnsbury, Vermont. All are welcome to attend and share with the family. Food and Fellowship will follow. Come early, stay late. Casual dress.
Please omit flowers. Contributions may be made in Joan's memory to Kingdom Animal Shelter, P. O. Box 462, St. Johnsbury, Vermont or to St. Johnsbury Health and Rehab, designated to "Employee Activity Fund", 1248 Hospital Drive, St Johnsbury, VT 05819
The family cannot begin to adequately express their appreciation and thanks to the staff at St. Johnsbury Health and Rehab for the love, support and excellent care given to Joan over the past two years.
Sayles Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
God Saw You Getting Tired
God saw you getting tired
and a cure was not to be
so he put his arms around you
and whispered,
"Come to Me"
With tearful eyes we watched you
and saw you pass away
and although we love you dearly
we could not make you stay.
A Golden heart stopped beating
hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best
Joan was born March 24, 1935 in Beecher Falls, Vermont, the daughter of Arthur (Burns) Paquette and Geraldine (Fissette) Paquette. She graduated from Canaan Memorial High School in 1952. On October 2, 1954 she married the love of her life, Richard A. (Dick) Parrish, and shortly after they were married they moved to St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Dick predeceased her on December 4, 1982. Joan continued to live in St. Johnsbury until she moved to Lyndonville, Vermont in 2001; she returned to St. Johnsbury in 2011 when her health started to decline. She formerly attended St. Andrews Episcopal Church and during the last two years she enjoyed attending the monthly Union Baptist Church services at the Rehab.
Throughout her years, Joan held many jobs, all of which interacted with people. Among those jobs were working at Reed Insurance Agency, Maple Grove, Bell Telephone Company, Peck Hardware, Capitol Stationers and her last job as the switchboard operator at NVRH, retiring from there in September, 1998.
Following Dick's death, Joan was the rock for her family, all of whom she loved unconditionally. Traditions for holidays and birthdays were always especially important to her. She will be lovingly remembered for too many things to remember, among them being her famous donuts (having acquired the nickname "the Donut Lady", her Christmas coffee cakes, cream-filled chocolate cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, cooking Saturday lunches and desserts for anyone who stopped in, playing Scrabble and cribbage, doing jigsaw puzzles; she was always ready to lend a helping hand if she could. The Paquette family reunions were also important to her. Joan loved dogs and cats; her cats, Cassie & Neka were comforting companions to her.
Joan is survived by four children. Her daughter, Karen (David) Shields, (230 Kitchel Hill, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819), son, Michael (Debra) Parrish, (20 Brunelle ST, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819), son, Randall (Wanda) Parrish, (1162 North Danville RD, Danville, VT 05828), and son, Wendell (Julie) Parrish, (601 Rte 2B, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819). She is also survived by 5 grandchildren, Rebecca Schoenemann, Olivia Shields, Melissa (Matthew) Peters, Hillary Parrish and Hailey Parrish, 5 step grandchildren, Pam Galvin, Katie (Sam) Eberle, Joseph Bouffard, Tucker Bouffard and Nicole (Kyle) Borey, 8 great and step-great-grandchildren, Zachary, Nathaniel, Liam, Tehya, Noah, Miles, Kayla and Dylan. She is also survived by her only sibling, a sister, Bernadine Dubois of Conway, NH and her sister-in-law, Audrey Parrish of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, along with several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Besides her husband, Dick, she was also predeceased by her parents, Burns and Geraldine Paquette, her in-laws, Rex Parrish and Mina Parrish, her brother-in-law, Gordon Dubois, and Dick's brothers and sisters, Robert Stimpson, George Parrish, Doris Graham, Arlene Parker and Charles Parrish.
Per Joan's wishes there will be no calling hours and burial will be held at a later date in the Stewartstown Hollow Cemetery in Stewartstown, New Hampshire.
A Time of Remembrance will be held Saturday, June 13, 2015 beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Wendell's home, 601 Rte. 2B, St. Johnsbury, Vermont. All are welcome to attend and share with the family. Food and Fellowship will follow. Come early, stay late. Casual dress.
Please omit flowers. Contributions may be made in Joan's memory to Kingdom Animal Shelter, P. O. Box 462, St. Johnsbury, Vermont or to St. Johnsbury Health and Rehab, designated to "Employee Activity Fund", 1248 Hospital Drive, St Johnsbury, VT 05819
The family cannot begin to adequately express their appreciation and thanks to the staff at St. Johnsbury Health and Rehab for the love, support and excellent care given to Joan over the past two years.
Sayles Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
God Saw You Getting Tired
God saw you getting tired
and a cure was not to be
so he put his arms around you
and whispered,
"Come to Me"
With tearful eyes we watched you
and saw you pass away
and although we love you dearly
we could not make you stay.
A Golden heart stopped beating
hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best
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