Roger Nathaniel Parris, born in Christiana, Manchester, Jamaica on February 4, 1946, passed away on Wednesday morning, September 10, 2014 at the Illinois Veterans Home – LaSalle. Beloved husband of Kathleen (née Johnson); loving father to Robert (Amy) and Stephen; proud grandfather to Riley and Henry, brother to Joyce Parris-Mighty, supportive brother-in-law to a dozen siblings, an uncle, cousin, and friend to many. Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Aaron & Esther Parris; sisters, Hyacinth Pierre-Antoine and Monica Parris.
In 1961, he emigrated from Jamaica to the United States to join his father, in Chicago. He attended Wendell Phillips High School in Bronzeville and spent his teenage years on the South Side of Chicago. In the mid 1960s, he made his choice to serve God and he enjoyed fellowship meetings and conventions throughout his life. Roger was always grateful for the missionaries that introduced him and his faithful mother to the Gospel of Christ in his home district in Jamaica.
Although he was not a U.S. Citizen at the time, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967 and he served as a Medic in Vietnam from 1967-1969. He met Kathleen Johnson on a visit to Jamaica before reporting for duty and they corresponded during his service. They were married on October 4, 1969 in Kingston, Jamaica. They moved to Evanston, Illinois that fall and started a family the following year. They also lived in Miami, Skokie, and Highland Park, but Evanston was always the focus of his activities.
Roger began his real estate career with Gaskin Realtors in the early 1970s and he began to invest in real estate. He formed his own company Parris-Hall Realtors by 1974 and later owned and operated Manchester Realty, where he sold and managed real estate. He also developed residential and commercial projects in Evanston, Chicago, and Miami. Roger loved to mentor others with their real estate investments.
Roger & Kathy loved entertaining friends and family. They welcomed people from all over the world to stay in their home, even for extended periods of time. He was passionate about helping scores of immigrants start life in America. He was devoted to helping and encouraging his family, his wife’s family, friends, and even those he didn’t know very well.
In his later years Roger was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He was cared for at home by his wife and a large and supportive extended family, before moving to the Illinois Veterans Home in 2013. After a long goodbye, he peacefully passed away into eternity, surrounded by family.
Visitation: Sunday, September 21st, 3PM-7PM
Funeral Service: Monday, September 22nd, 11AM
Weinstein Funeral Home, 111 Skokie Blvd. at Old Glenview Rd., Wilmette, IL 60091.
Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie, IL.
Additional details may be found at www.RogerParris.com. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Connections for the Homeless www.cfthinc.org or Evanston Community Foundation – Realtors Fund www.evanstonforever.org
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