William Edward Parrish

William E. Parrish of Grosse Pointe Woods was born on July 14, 1934, in Detroit and passed away at his home on March 14, 2022. He was raised in Harper Woods with his brother John, where they played in the streets from morning to night. Bill was a member of the first graduating class of Harper Woods High School where he excelled in sports. He loved his college years at Colorado College where he was on the hockey team that defeated the University of Michigan for the 1957 NCAA championship. Bill was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. After graduating, he proudly served his country in the Army. Bill was stationed in Germany where he was the quartermaster for the US 7th Army. Hockey continued to play an important role as he played for the local German team travelling throughout Europe as part of US Army goodwill program. He returned to Detroit and started a long and successful career at Ryerson Steel ending up as a regional sales manager and the company’s stainless steel expert. He loved hunting ducks in Arkansas and Michigan as well as hunting pheasants at his farm in South Dakota. Bill appreciated the beauty of Lake St. Clair and taking drives up and down Lakeshore looking at the freighters and the birds, especially delighting in the swans.

Bill was the son of John Coose and Leona Bonnie Parrish, who preceded him in death. Also preceding him in death was his life partner of 40 years, Dolores Whitehouse. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, John and Joan Parrish, his nieces Tammy Mathias (James), Terry Parrish Neff (Robert), Cynthia Casterline (John) and Susan Moore (Jerry), along with numerous nieces and nephews and cousins in Arkansas.

A memorial service for William will be held at a later date.

Arrangements and care provided by A.H. Peters Funeral Home of Grosse Pointe.