William Brown Lee Parham Jr.

1941-2020

Longtime Carmel Valley resident and business owner Bill Parham passed away January 31, 2020. He was 78. A beloved husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, Bill was full of fun and known for his quick wit, sense of humor and the fun nicknames he gave to everyone he cared about. He was active in the Carmel Valley Community and won several awards for his work.

Bill was born in San Diego to Jane and Navy Captain William Brownlee Parham Senior in 1941. One of three siblings, Bill and his family lived in locations around the globe where his father was stationed. He attended Coronado High School and graduated from high school in Hawaii in 1959. He moved to the Monterey Coast because of the good surf and to attend Monterey Peninsula College and fell in love with the area.

An avid water fan, Bill learned to surf the big waves in Hawaii and enjoyed scuba and free driving for lobsters and abalone. He continued to surf on the Carmel Beach, where he met the love of his life Judith (Judy) Reams and married her ten months later in 1961. The newlyweds made their home in Juneau, Alaska for three years where Bill loved to hunt, fish and fly in his new father-in-law’s helicopter with his dog King to find the best spots to dive for gold in the Alaskan wilderness. They returned to Carmel Valley, where they started their family and raised three beautiful daughters, Stefanie, Kim and Melissa. Bill was an active, involved father and was a Carmel Valley Buckeye 4-H leader. He consistently supported Carmel Valley 4-Hers throughout the years by purchasing market animals at the Monterey County Fair junior livestock auctions.

He served for many years as a board member for the Gateway Center in Pacific Grove, a community-based organization serving clients 18 years or older with developmental and intellectual disabilities. He was President of the Coast Cattle Gun Club in Los Banos from 2002-2013 and served on the Board of Directors for the Los Banos Grassland Water District. Bill loved duck hunting season and would often take his daughter Melissa and his Labrador Retriever, Tule, with him on hunting trips to the duck club.

Bill owned two businesses in Carmel Valley – he started Peninsula Septic Tank Service (PSTS) in 1964 and Carmel Valley Service Center (CVSC) in 1991 and held sanitation system and general engineering contractor licenses. An example of Bill’s sense of humor is evident in the signs on his PSTS pump trucks that say, “Caution: this vehicle may be transporting political promises” which received many laughs throughout the area over the years. Bill was a volunteer for the Carmel Valley Fire Department from 1965 to 2002, served as the Carmel Valley Fire Chief from 2000-2001, and served on the Board of Directors for the Carmel Fire Department for many years. Bill helped launch the Santa and Elf Gift Delivery Program, which delivered presents to Carmel Valley children on fire trucks, often playing the role of Santa. He received the Carmel Valley Chamber of Commerce Good Egg Award in 1976.

Bill is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Judy Parham; daughters Kimberly Parham-Domenighini of Pacific Grove, Stefanie Parham-Carminati (John) of Pebble Beach, and Melissa Parham of Pacific Grove; his four grandchildren Jeffery Domenighini of Philadelphia, Tallie Domenighini of Corral de Tierra, Isabella Carminati and William Carminati of Pebble Beach; his sisters Ann Parham Giampa of Haverhill, Massachusetts and Susie Parham Hallen of Carlsbad, California; his sister-in-laws Kristin Ernest (Kent) of Boise, Idaho and Nanci Hubby of Carmel Valley; nephews Kristopher West Hubby (Jennifer) of Santa Cruz and Michael Giampa (Patty) of Bradford, Massachusetts; nieces Lisa Hallen McKinley (Ken) of Fullerton, California, Laurie Hallen of Encinitas, California, and Susan Giampa of Bradford, Massachusetts; great nephews Andrew and Joe Giampa, great nieces Hailey and Maddie McKinley and Joey Raye. And Tule, his beloved black Labrador Retriever of Carmel Valley.

For those of us he left behind, while we are richer for knowing him, we grieve beyond all understanding because his life that shined so brightly, kindly and gently has left us to shine because of him.

Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life on Sunday April 5, 2020 at the Carmel Valley Community Park from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gateway Center of Monterey Peninsula, 850 Congress, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 or the American Heart Association, PO Box 742030, Los Angeles, CA 90074.