Robert Austin Parsons, Jr. was born in El Paso's Masonic Hospital on January 16, 1927. He attended Dudley Elementary and graduated from El Paso High School. He met his future wife, Marian, at Texas College of Mines and they first dated in March 1949. First Baptist Church's minister, Dr. W. Herschel Ford married them at Trinity United Methodist Church on May 27, 1950. He worked for the City of El Paso, for a total of 35 years, as a building inspector, for the Planning Commission and with El Paso Water Utilities as Land Administrator. During the Korean Conflict, he served on active duty in the Air Force and was stationed at bases in Korea (K-14 Kempo and K-16 Seoul) and Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka), Keesler Air Force Base, Barksdale Air Force Base and MacDill Air Force Base. Between his active and reserve duty, Bob served in the Air Force for a total of 27 years. After his overseas duty, he returned to El Paso to rejoin his wife and first child Linda Deane. Subsequently, they had son Richard Robert and daughter Carol Diane.
Because he and Marian loved the outdoors, the family purchased three acres of mountain land and built a two-story cabin in Timberon, NM. Through this, the children learned teamwork, construction skills and that every job worth doing was worth doing well.
He valued higher education for his children and all earned degrees from their parents' alma mater. He taught Rick woodworking and construction techniques. His daughters learned to work with the family’s cabin construction team and enjoy the outdoors as well. Bob passed along his artistic talents to his children. Carol liked to sketch and sculpt, Linda is a watercolorist and encaustic artist and Rick is a talented woodworker. Bob’s greatest gifts were provided by his lifelong example of instilling positive values in his children, being a stabilizing influence on his family and by being a loving and nurturing father. That legacy will live on in his five grandchildren (Neil Chochrek, Rob Parsons, Renee Parsons Windlinger, Randy Parsons and Christina Davis) and seven great-grandchildren.
Viewing will be at Restlawn Funeral Home, 8817 Dyer St. El Paso, Tx 79904, from 10:00am to 1:00pm on Thursday, May14, 2020 and chapel services for immediate family only, with military honors, will follow at 1:00 PM. Burial will be at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery. Livestreaming of the service will commence at 1pm and will be accessible by searching on Facebook for Funeraria Del Angel Restlawn’s Page. For expressing online condolences please visit www.funerariadelangelkm.com
