Eugene Coy Parr

Eugene Coy Parr, also known as E.C., Gene, or Coy, 85, a resident of Bellville, Texas, passed away Thursday, July 7, 2022, in Bellville.

E.C. was born April 5, 1937, in Wallis, TX, the son of Redden Stokes Parr and Clara Castellow Parr. He was the surviving brother of 14 children with seven siblings and six half-siblings:  Lloyd, Huland, Elsie, Aubrey Lee, Floyd, Charles, and Thomas as well as Raymond, Lonius, Irene (Lois), Connie, Pearline, and Ruby. He was the third youngest of all the children. He grew up mainly in Wallis and Frydek and attended school in Wallis.

E.C. was born at home after the end of the Great Depression. As cotton sharecroppers, the family did not have a lot and depended mainly upon what the boys could hunt, what the family could grow, and usually had a milk cow. They used kerosene lamps at night and their food sometimes spoiled due to no refrigeration. Injuries such as broken bones did not receive medical care. Some of the boys had to share a pair of shoes and the children did not get to attend school on a regular basis. E.C. used to say the cracks in the walls of the house were large enough to throw a cat through. Life was hard; family and friends were everything. Occasionally there was a little extra money to go to the picture show in town with enough pennies left over to get popcorn and a soda water. Fun was sometimes swimming in the Brazos River, playing marbles, looking for arrowheads, and reading comic books. Despite their challenging upbringing, each Parr excelled as adults in each of their unique ways.

E.C. left home in his early teens and thus adulthood began. He found a job building houses. That’s how he learned carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work. When he was able to buy a car, he learned to be a mechanic. E.C. also opened a car mechanic business in the early sixties. He always found another job and learned more skills. He also became a welder and a dozer operator. E.C. started working for the Mundy Company which spanned over 30 years. He became a pipefitter and was promoted to foreman. He then became a contract maintenance superintendent and was in charge of safety and operations. E.C. continued to excel and learn. The Mundy Company sent him to Dale Carnegie courses in public speaking and management. E.C. managed people at large plants such as polymer and oil companies. He then went to work at the George Ranch where he handled the ranch’s maintenance activities and was the antique car mechanic. He even acquired his G.E.D. to be able to receive a certification in sanitation management. After a few years, he returned to the Mundy Company to run a chemical plant in south Texas. All through his life he would buy old cars, refurbish them, and sell them for extra money. After retirement, he continued to work. He cleared land and dug ponds for local farmers and ranchers. He built and fixed fences and cut hay. E.C. was a self-made man and a jack of all trades. He prided himself on his skills and work ethic. He never really stopped working until a couple of years before his passing.

Soon after leaving home, E.C. met Delores on a Saturday night in Sealy. They ran into one another again at a dance and started dating. He would get off work and go to Delores’ house. She was so young she had to finish her homework before they could visit. Eventually, he asked his future father-in-law, Boop Wendt, for permission to marry Delores. Boop told him she had to finish high school first. So, E.C. said he would wait. It was probably the only time he waited patiently. They were married on June 15, 1957, at Bellville United Methodist Church and recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. They had two daughters; Debra was born in 1958. Delores was going to name her Vicky Kay after her black cat. But, E.C. said his daughter was not going to be named after a damn cat and he named the baby Debra Diane. Tammy Kim was born in 1963 and was named after the popular Tammy movies in the early sixties. Over the years, they lived in Houston, Bellville, Richmond, and Pasadena, before finally returning to Bellville.

Later in life, E.C. began making wine. He shared this hobby with his niece, Reta (Cissy) Davis. Delores and Bubba Davis helped and joined in the fun when it came time to bottle the wine. Over the years, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and target practice. He was a great marksman. He loved dogs and horses and eventually even cats. He also liked playing the harmonica and guitar. E.C. also enjoyed helping his family, friends, and neighbors when they were fixing things around their homes.

Delores and E.C. did like to travel occasionally. Their daughter Debra worked at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). In 1999, they began volunteering at some of the national conferences held every June. They traveled together to Atlanta, Reno, Anaheim, and New Orleans. Over the years, E.C. kept volunteering and went to Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis, National Harbor in Maryland, Nashville, and Las Vegas. Debra really enjoyed their time together. E.C. met a lot of nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers and enjoyed making a lot of new friends.

E.C. always enjoyed working hard, and most of his work was also fun to him. He enjoyed a good joke and making people laugh. After a fairly recent ladder accident, a favorite niece stated that must have really hurt. Never skipping a beat, he snickered and said, “The fall didn’t hurt, it hurt when I hit the ground.” And, in reading condolence notes this one struck a chord, “Sounds like he lived his life like somebody left the gate open.” We think he did, and he had a heck of a time.

E.C. is survived by his wife: Delores Parr of Bellville; daughter: Debra Parr and partner, Daniel, of Austin; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins; and many other dear relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Redden and Clara Parr, brothers and sisters and their spouses; in-laws: Wilbert (Boop) and Flora Wendt; and daughter: Tammy Kim Parr Cordes.

Friends who wish may make memorial gifts to:

Shriners Hospital for Children
815 Market St.
Galveston, Tx 77550

American Stroke Association
10900-B Stone Lake Blvd, Ste 320
Austin, Tx 78759

Bellville United Methodist Church
PO Box 397
Bellville, Tx 77418

Pilgrims Rest Cemetery Association
P.O. Box 1254
Bellville, Tx 77418

Or to the charity of your choice.