for some reason he is one of the people that I forget is no longer with us. Look forward to seeing him in heaven.

Paul is so very missed on the Austin Shakespeare Board!  It's hard to believe it has been 3 years.  Our love to you, Linda.

We remember Paul as a devoted father, husband,friend and honored professor.  We send our love and fond remembrances to family and friends.  We are honored to have known him.  Judy and Gilbert Rowe

Dear Linda,

I was recently on the TAMU campus and remembered that a good number of times Paul and I had lunch together because we both arrived at the same place and time. I shared more lunch sessions with Paul than with any other faculty member. We always shared a good conversation and left energized, for the record. Kind regards, Marco Portales

Remembering your loss, dear friend. Marco and Rita

Remembering Paul today and asking God to give him, Linda and family much peace.

Thinking of Paul and family today. Remember him with love and hope.  The Rowe Family 

We remember Paul most especially on the occasion when, as head of the English Department at A&M, it happened that my husband Marco who was teaching at the time, had a heart attack. 
Paul most sincerely assured me, "Don't worry about a thing, Rita. We'll cover everything here for him. You just take care of him and bring  bring him back to us."
He then proceeded to pay us a visit at the hospital! A busy man with thoughts of others first. That was Paul and I am sincerely grateful . I know God is rewarding your many kind deeds and work now, Paul. We pray for you and that Linda may  experience His peace and the comfort that only He can give.

Paul Parrish. Memorial

I Met Paul Parrish about a year after I arrived at TAMU in 1970. We worked together on the boards of Friends of Chamber Music and the Plass Arts Foundation.  I recognized that he was an extraordinary person to communicate with, respect, love, and learn from, so I often visited him in his English Department office, where we discussed various topics, such as social justice, universal human ethics, and science. 

When I first arrived in Texas, TAMU was mostly male and lacked diversity in its students, faculty, and leadership, but Paul and others, such as Paul and others on the faculty senate, had a great impact on progress for growth of diversity in the faculty, students, leadership. An item of evidence for this progress was construction of a Liberal Arts Building.

In all my interactions with Paul, he was always open minded, but he also offered new ideas, or corrections in documents.  He was a great teacher, but he was also a dedicated student who valued learning from other people including his own students.

Paul’s retirement event in the Physics and Astronomy Building was extraordinary by including faculty from many departments and people from organizations that he had supported, such as KAMU and it featured the Century Singers in the Rotunda above the audience.


Gilbert Atticus and I send our fond remembrances of Paul and his family I am sure  Bryan College Station and TAMU send love and appreciation for all the family gave here. 
Atticus and Gaven were friends in High School and I am sure those bonds will hold always. 

Paul was an honored scholar as is Linda.  May God grant family and friends the best of memories for all the Parrishfamily stands for .  I didn't know about the corduroy hat and music but will hold such a memory dear.

Sending love.honor and comfort to froiends and family.  Judith I 
Gilbert and Atticus Rowe

I heard of Paul's death just after I had sent an email to Paul and Linda expressing my hope that Paul's illness would develop slowly.  This loss of Paul has deprived the Donne main of a continent and me of more than 40 years of friendship with a man who truly was a telescope into the best of humanity.  I can still feel Paul's presence in his photographs of the Drury monuments in the little church in Hawstead (I transcribed the texts, so we shared this very special space) and derive some joy in our attribution for his photos  (DV, vol. 8, pp. 179-80) to Paul ("Paul A. Parrish, A .A. G. G., B. B.," or "All Around Good Guy, Blues Brother").  His eternally youthful smile, like that of the Cheshire cat, will survive forever in my mind even as he leaves this world.

Ernest Sullivan

Paul and Linda joined the Austin Newcomers Club when they moved to Austin several years ago and Paul threw himself into it (or maybe Linda did the throwing for him) the way they both seem to have thrown themselves into life and love and politics and doing kindnesses all their lives.  Paul became Recording Secretary on the Board I was President of that year, and while I didn't know him in the beginning, I quickly grew to revere his warm smile and quiet competency, ready wit and willingness to do everything asked.  And that, as all of you who knew and loved him know, was Paul--and that's why his loss is so profound for so many.  He was just a warm, wonderful, giving guy on every level.  "One of the really good ones."  
I'll miss him mightily as I know Linda and her sons and grandkids will.  But oh, what lovely memories you must all have.  May they and the smiles they elicit sustain you!  Most fondly and with prayers and sympathy,
Susi Spies


I only met Paul a few years ago when he started volunteering at Breakthrough. As the volunteer coordinator, I had the chance to see Paul in action as a College Application Coach. He really set the bar high for everyone else. He would not only sign up to help one student with their essays, but one year he maxed out at three students! From reading other memories here, I see that going above and beyond was just another ordinary day for Paul.

He made such a big impact on his student's college journey and in the lives of all who knew him at Breakthrough. Anytime Paul's name would come up, my co-worker, Christi and I would sing his praises to anyone who would listen! We felt then, and feel now, so lucky to have had his support and expertise. I know his students feel the same way.  I can't fully express what his time at Breakthrough meant to me. Knowing someone so wonderful was out there doing great things for others - it made my heart lighter. I am going to miss seeing him and Linda at the volunteer appreciation gatherings. I'm going to miss his long emails detailing how each of his students is doing in their application process. I hope you know how much love and appreciation we have for you, Paul.

Yes, glad somebody mentioned the sunglasses and the cowboy hat for his guitar playing the Donne Variorum Blues. That whole thing was unique and unforgettable, I am deeply happy to have been a part of it. Yes I am positvie about God and heaven and look forward to seeing him there. I did not even know he was sick at all, but anyway . .  !

When my Dad  took a position at TAMU in 1977 I came along (somewhat unwillingly) and said I would "give Texas A&M a try."  I ended up having a wonderful experience as an English major and that's how I first met  Paul and then Linda.  Later, I had the privilege of teaching their sons.  This family has done so much to serve this community in many different ways.  The wit, intelligence and warm ready smiles have brought me joy over the years and as I read the memories here, I know I'm not alone in that.  

Paul's kind and gentle ways will be greatly missed. He was always so kind and welcoming to all he met.  Working with Linda at Texas A&M University many years ago, afforded me the opportunity to visit with Paul when he was meeting Linda for lunch or just stopping by the office. In just a few words, he could make you feel like the most special person in the room.  I will miss Paul and I send thoughts and prayers to Linda and their entire family.

Linda, I have admired Paul since the day I met him at my first Donne Conference in  1992. His rendition of "The Donne Variorum Blues" still resonates with me, and his kindness and advice will always be treasured. Please accept Mark's and my deepest sympathies for you and your family.
     Warm wishes,
     Mark and Joan Faust

Paul has been one of my main role models for how to combine a seriousness about good scholarship with kindness, an interest in others, a sense of shared fun, and a commitment to making the communities he belonged to better.  At the Donne conference sessions, he listened carefully and spoke rarely but with words that bore weight, and he welcomed newcomers (shy people like me!) who might otherwise have felt on the fringes of the social gatherings.   When I was feeling gloomy about the profession, it was heartening to hear him talk about his administrative work - what came through was that he brought high ideals and firm principles to his program, and a practical sense of how to get things done.   A generous, warm-hearted, upright, first-rate human being.  My heart goes out to Linda and all his family and friends.

It is wonderful to read the loving words and and fond memories of such a splendid  human being.  Paul was a scholar, a friend. He sang those blues and  enlivened and energized our meetings year after year. He is so very much missed but will remain in our thoughts and memories. 

My dear, dear cousin Paul.  I so loved being with my cousins during Rishel reunions.  But Paul and Austin were my "protectors"!   I was slightly picked on by some, but not these two.  Paul, in his soft spoken, loving manner would always come sit by me and just smile.   There was one time, however, he received boxing gloves from his Grandpa for Christmas  and he was showing me how to use them.  I ended up giving him a big bloody nose (by accident of course) and he never let me forget it.  In fact, the last time we were together about ten years ago, he brought me those gloves to always remember him by.   I don't need gloves or words.......just thinking of Paul Parrish makes my heart soar and it comforts me immensely to think of him with his brother Marvin, cousin Austin, his parents and many more celebrating in heaven. 

I'm so, so sorry to hear of Paul's passing. When I was a graduate student at A&M, he was very supportive and kind to me. I was on the hiring committee in 2006, when my  now teenager was only 8 weeks old. Paul rocked Sawyer to sleep so I could eat lunch in between interviews. He most recently reached out to me when he learned that I had received tenure. He taught me the importance of being kind and thoughtful in a field that can make it difficult to be either. I'm thinking of you all. 

My condolences to the family. Paul was a cherished member of the John Donne Society and a key contributor to the collegial and welcoming space of our annual gatherings. I share (as does everyone who attended these conferences) Achsah's memory of Paul leading us in a sing-a-long of the "Donne Variorum Blues" and also the many other, less obvious ways in which he blessed and nourished our scholarly community. He will be deeply missed. 

Paul was my much loved friend and colleague, and will always be in my heart.  So many memories, from the Donne Society annual conferences, where shared ideas, talks, --in a group singing songs around the fountain at Gulfport,  walks on the beach. He was a great scholar but also a great person. We shared so many values, as I found when we surprisingly met up at an administrator conference at San Antonio, both fighting for an expanded sense of excellence and what "counts" in the academy.  I have such great memories of him singing the "Donne Variorum Blues," with his guitar, cowboy hat, sun glasses, but also of him and Linda dancing the two-step one of the times we had Cajun and Zydeco music after the conference.  So heartbroken at your too-soon death, but am celebrating your rich life and know how many people love and admire you.  

I was so sorry to hear that Paul had died. It was only quite recently that I learned he was seriously  ill. He was undoubtedly one of my most valued colleagues in the English department—well-informed about the profession, reasonable in his opinions, and admirably even-tempered. Moreover, he was an excellent administrator and scholar whose work I always read with pleasure and whose contributions to  scholarship on John Donne will be an important part of his legacy. 

I am so sorry to learn of Paul's death. He was a superb scholar whose work on seventeenth-century literature significantly  advanced the field.  He was witty and fun loving, but he was also seriously committed to social justice and to making the world a better place. His generosity and concern for others was a significant aspect of his character. May Linda and their children and all who loved him find comfort in their memories of such a fine man. Paul's life was an inspiration. He was much loved.

Paul was such a gentle, good and kind man. I loved working with him and Linda in Hays County Democrats and Dripping Springs Democratic Action. He didn't speak a lot, but when he did, it was well thought-out and important. I will miss his gentle presence.
Much love to Linda & the family.
Kathi

OBITUARY

Paul Austin Parrish

26 October, 1944 – 30 October, 2021

Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home & Memorial Park

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