John Parnell, Sr.

He grew up in Kingston and St. Elizabeth and was raised by his mother, grandmother, and later by his step mother Daisy Parnell.

As a teenager John went to technical school. He was ambitious and sought opportunities. Adults would take notice of his strong desire to learn and would allow him to work in their auto repair shops which helped him to develop his auto repair skill. This led him to working his way up to repairing large trucks for Kaiser Bauxite Co. He also drove long haul buses all over Jamaica.

Due to his strong work ethic and his ability to learn quickly, his employer, Kaiser Bauxite Co, sent John for further training in the US where he received the Detroit Diesel Series 71” Engine Certification, from General Motors Corporation on August 26, 1966,.

John migrated from Jamaica to New York in 1968 where he worked for the New York City Transit Authority and later relocated to Orlando in 1979, where he worked for the Orange County Bus Transit System.

Throughout his career, he received numerous awards and certification. He had an impressive attendance record and received employee of the year award in 1988 from Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority.

John retired from his career in 1997.

John was very outgoing. He enjoyed life, loved to travel and loved the outdoors. He especially enjoyed taking family and friends in what some of us would call the “Sanford and Son bus”. But he loved that van! John had a thirst for knowledge. He loved to read and loved history which he passed on to his son, John Jr. We have many memories going sightseeing and at every point of interest he would always give us a tutorial. He loved showing the sites, pointing out interesting details and facts that would otherwise be missed. He was a fun loving and trusted tour guide. He was very hospitable and his home was a place of enjoyment to many. He loved music, especially the “oldies”. and amassed a diverse music collection, which he enjoyed. He loved photography and on many occasions, you can count on seeing him with his old-fashioned camera over his shoulder.

John Parnell Sr. passed away January 3, 2018, at 88 years old, surrounded by his loved ones. He was predeceased by his eldest son, Richard Parnell, survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Shirley Parnell, 5 Children, 3 Step Children, 11 Grand Children, and 5 Great Grand Children.