Curtis Wade Parnell Jr.

Curtis Wade Parnell Jr., 63, of Grand Saline, Texas, passed away on August 7, 2026. Born December 3, 1962, Curtis lived with a rare combination of intensity and joy—steadfast in purpose, quick with wit, and unmistakably devoted to what mattered most.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 5725 Colleyville Blvd, Colleyville, Texas 76034, on September 3, 2026, at 1:30 pm.

Growing up on Hilton Head Island during its transformation into a premier resort destination, Curtis developed a love for the game of golf and learned to shoot a fantastic score—often playing the back nine just beyond the door of his family’s home. His father, an avid fisherman, and his paternal grandfather, “Gran,” left a deep and lasting mark on his life. From an early age, he carried the weight of family legacy with seriousness and resolve, determined to honor the charge he had been given to carry on the family name with a son.

After his father’s untimely death in 1985, Curtis eventually fulfilled a promise to finish college at SMU in Dallas. Returning at 28, he re-entered with existing credits and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in the spring of 1992—an achievement that reflected the focus and drive that would define so much of his life. That same summer, in July, he was introduced to Jackie Pease at Restoration Church in Euless, Texas, a church he found through James Robison’s Bible Conferences. By September, they knew they were destined for one another. Curtis had also been accepted into Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and World Harvest Bible Training Institute, but when he asked Pat Pease for Jackie’s hand, Pat’s answer was simple: Curtis needed a job if he wanted a wife. Curtis applied at N.J. Malin (now known as Malin) in Addison, Texas, selling Raymond forklifts. He got the job, rose to become their top salesman, and found the vocational path that would anchor his working life. He chose to set aside the pursuit of ordination so he could provide for a family.

Curtis and Jackie married in 1993. True to his romantic spirit and larger-than-life flair, he proposed in front of the entire Restoration Church congregation—riding up on a white stallion and dressed in a full suit of armor on a crisp fall Sunday morning in November. Together they spent 28 years in the midcities area as they welcomed twelve children.

Curtis’ devotion to God, to Jackie, and to his children never needed interpretation—his loyalties were clear, his love unmistakable, and his efforts tireless. He could be formidable at first meeting; his passion and tenacity sometimes startled new acquaintances. Yet, just as often, he was the life of the party, delivering hilarious sarcasm with impeccable timing and leaving a room full of laughter.

After the birth of their seventh child in 2003, Curtis became a founding elder of Heritage Family Church alongside pastor Bobby Treece and associate pastor Rod Cummins. He served for four years before stepping down to pour his energy into a home church environment, hobby farming, and building what would become a remarkable business legacy. Curtis served as Division Manager at North Shore Supply Co. and founded North American Wholesale Logistics. Under the parent company of North Shore Supply in Houston, Texas, he took NAWL from inception to a $22 million corporation in five years—earning trust through conscientious integrity and sharp business acumen.

His work ethic was never separate from his love for his family. Curtis pursued success with a steady, determined intensity so Jackie could remain at home, home educate their children, and live out her calling as a mother—something he valued deeply. With an entrepreneurial eye and a knack for buying and selling real estate, he moved the family nine times within the area, placing them in homes both small and grand. They spent their longest season—13 years—in Flower Mound, before moving to rural east Texas in 2021.

Wherever Curtis lived, he built and cultivated. He loved hobby farming - on three acres in Flower Mound, his engineering mind was always at work—building state-of-the-art chicken coops, growing greens in a tower garden, and developing an aquaponics greenhouse. At the height of the family’s little farm, they kept a Jersey milk cow, dairy goats, and 60 laying hens, sharing raw milk and organic farm-fresh eggs with neighbors and friends. Curtis often said he wished he had pursued agriculture and horticulture in college, having discovered a passion second only to his love for Jackie.

Curtis was also, in the truest sense, a lifelong student. He especially loved studying the Bible, the Hebrew language, history, and current events. He began attending monthly Biblical Hebrew classes 12 years ago hosted by Dr. Joel Young of For His Glory Ministries in Richardson, Texas. Dr. Young and his wife, Danielle, became close family friends and remained a steady source of strength and counsel for Curtis, Jackie, and the children. Curtis also authored a book, *A New Creation: the I Am Promises* (available on Amazon), and was revising it during the last months of his life.

Among all his pursuits, Curtis’ favorite pastime was simply being with Jackie—often in the most ordinary moments, running errands and caring for the needs of their large household.

Their annual Christmas date was a treasured tradition: a full day set aside to brave crowded stores and holiday traffic, planning restaurants and coffee shops along the way, determined to find the right gifts for each child. He even delighted in the practical rhythms of family life—taking his daughters, dressed up, to Whole Foods every two weeks to shop for meals, even as the grocery bill in the teenage years rivaled the mortgage. In later years, Sunday morning brunch became an “epic production,” a gathering so warm and abundant that friends of the family loved to attend.

In the heyday of his career, Curtis and Jackie took all twelve of their children, along with their son-in-law, to Ireland for 10 days—a trip that helped shift the trajectory of the oldest children toward long-held dreams. It was one of many ways Curtis’ leadership expressed itself: not only through provision, but through vision, encouragement, and the determination to build an environment where others could grow.

Curtis is survived by his wife, Jackie Parnell; his twelve children, Madison Parnell Peterson, Curtis Parnell III, Maggie Parnell, Christian Pearce Parnell, Milly Parnell Pratap Singh, Mercy Parnell, Charles Parnell, Channing Parnell, Cyrus Parnell, Miriam Parnell, Meredith Parnell, and Cash Parnell; and his sisters, Adell Muench and Kim Kliesner. Curtis was preceded in death by his parents, Curtis W Parnell Sr., and mother Judith Anne Parnell.

A man of faith who loved his family and gave his life for their comfort and protection, Curtis will be remembered for the strength of his devotion and the way he built—through work, through love, through conviction, and through daily acts of care. In every season, he practiced a kind of “husbandry” not only of land and animals, but of home itself—creating a place where faith could deepen, laughter could ring out, and a family could flourish under the steady shade of his commitment and love.