Obituary of Thomas W. Parsons

0.1in Thomas W. Parsonswent to be with the Lord on September 4, 2009 after a long battle with cancer. Tom was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 26, 1921 to Irish immigrants, Nora Caulfield and William Parsons. He grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota, where he excelled in sports activities. In 1941 Tom enlisted in the U.S. Army and served our country for five years during WWII. He was recalled for an additional two years of service during the Korean War. Tom served in Europe as an Infantry Commissioned Officer and received many battle stars, which included the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge. In 1942 he married Mildred Jordan. Tom and Millie had two children, a son, Shawn and a daughter, Kathleen. After Millies death, Tom married Bette LeFevre Griffin, a longtime friend from Jamestown, N.D. Bette, a retired nurse, was Toms constant friend and caregiver throughout his extended illness. 0.1in Tom was a charter member of St. Luke Catholic Church, and was very active there, serving as head usher since its inception. Thomas was also involved in the excavating and grading the current athletic field for St. Lukes and designed the original landscaping of the church. Tom also attended and was active in St. Mark Catholic Church. 0.1in Tom owned and operated his own business, Terra Construction Company. He worked in land development, athletic fields, road building, shopping malls, etc. He was a former board member of the King County Citizen Advisory for Surface Water Management, a member of St. Vincent DePaul, a member of the Olympic Golf Club, a past member of the Seattle Rod and Gun Club, and a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1939. In 2004, Tom was awarded the honor of Fourth Degree with the Knights of Columbus. 0.1in Tom is survived by his spouse, Bette; his son, Shawn (Sue) Parsons; his daughter Kathy (Charlie) Kautz; his brother Eamon Parsons; and six grandchildren: Daniel Patneaude, Brian Patneaude, Michael Kautz, Rebecca Parsons, Sarah Parsons, and Ryan Parsons. Tom also has four great-grandchildren. A Vigil will be held at 7:00pm on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at St. Luke Catholic Church, 322 N. 175 th St., Shoreline. The Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00a.m., Thursday, Sept. 10 th , followed by a reception, both at St. Luke Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery, 205 NE 205 th St., Shoreline. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to F.A.C.E. (Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Education), P.O. Box 1432, Jamestown, N.D. 58402-1432.