Charles Frederick (Fred) Parrill passed away peacefully on Wednesday October 2nd, 2019 with his family by his side after a courageous battle with cancer. Born October 6, 1939 in Cripple Creek, Colorado to Lillian Cole and Charles Henry, Fred grew up in the Denver area with his two sisters. A childhood illness that prevented him from being involved in athletics unwittingly sparked a life-long love of music. Even as an early teenager, Fred would travel all over the city to play his saxophone at concerts and dances. When he got into high school, his passion for music was soon equaled by his love of hot rod cars. As a young adult, Fred enlisted in the Army and served our country for 6 years. While in the service, he also met and married his wife, Charlotte.
After the Army, Fred and Charlotte spent several years living in San Jose, California and Denver, Colorado before moving to Dallas in 1979. After owning and running a private day school for 16 years, Fred and Charlotte retired in 1996 and spent 23 wonderful years travelling the world and spending time with family and friends. In 2003, Fred rekindled his love of playing music and joined the New Horizons Band, a concert band for players over the age of 55. Later on, he also joined the affiliated jazz band, UpSwing, and spent many hours playing his saxophone at concerts for both bands. In addition to loving music, Fred was an avid golfer and enjoyed a number of different courses both in the US and abroad. He was also a passionate amateur videographer, documenting his travels all over the world.
Fred was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was preceded in death by his parents and both sisters, Verla Arko and Kendra Johnson, and is survived by his wife, Charlotte, of 57 years, and his son Scott Parrill and wife Shawnnah. He leaves behind two precious grandchildren, Lilly and Drew, who affectionately called him “Papa.”
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