Douglas C Parry

Douglas C Parry of Syracuse, Utah died peacefully on April 15, 2023, with loved ones at his side.

Born on Ground Hog Day in 1943, in Provo, Utah, Douglas was the oldest son of Conway Evelyn Parry and Ruth Bushnell. In his early life he enjoyed the small town of Cedar City. Shortly after he was born, with his dad shipped off to war, he became the central focus of his loving mother, while also enjoying the attention and supervision from many dear aunts who helped ensure he was well-behaved. When his dad returned from the war, there are stories of the then 3-year-old Douglas swatting him away when Con hugged Doug’s mom:  she was his, and he was not used to this stranger competing for her affections!

In his youth, he lived in Santa Monica, California; Price, Cedar City, and then spent his teenage years in Brigham City, Utah. His favorite activities were roaming the hills to look for lizards, snakes, and the like, a trait passed to many of his grandsons (and granddaughters!). He had good friends to influence him, great siblings who shared or caused many adventures, as well as an abundant supply of precious cousins whom he loved his entire life. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the East Central States Mission (Louisville, Kentucky) where he became accustomed to rules and obedience.

Upon his return, Doug married Saundra Hatch on August 21, 1964, in the Salt Lake Temple. They began raising a family of five boys and five girls. He received his bachelor’s degree from Weber State University in Electronics Engineering, and he spent most of his career in the semi-conductor field.  Whether working in clean rooms or inspecting the manufacturing of integrated circuits, he found a love for detail and exactness. His jobs took the family to Salt Lake City, North Salt Lake, Logan, Wellsville, Utah; Blackfoot, Idaho; Poway, California and eventually they settled in Mesa, Arizona.  Later, Saundra and he divorced.

During the early years of raising a large family, he grew to love camping, shooting, woodworking, singing, and teaching his kids how to fix things. Love of music runs deep in his Welsh (Parry) and Scottish (Macfarlane) heritage. He grew up hearing his parents sing together constantly, and he enjoyed the kids singing many Utah-centered songs taught to them by their grandparents. He transformed the Volkswagen van they owned into a miraculous transport with fold-down shelves for sleeping to accommodate this big family on adventures. Many songs were sung on these road trips.

He met Chris (Merle Christine Draper) on an airplane in early 1989, and they married on June 16, 1990, in the Portland, Oregon Temple. With a 17-year age difference, his older kids adjusted to his wife being close to their own age; but with the need for the Parry family to sing, she somewhat redeemed herself by possessing a modest skill for the piano. Many hours of music were shared as the family grew. After living in Scottsdale, Arizona for a short time, they moved to the Pacific Northwest and lived in the Seattle area before moving to Aloha, Oregon. Although not a Volkswagen van, they continued the tradition of travelling in a Chevy S10 Blazer. Many adventures happened in that vehicle, particularly with the younger kids. After a short time in Oregon, they relocated to Sandy, Utah where they enjoyed being physically close to many of the family. Later, they moved to Syracuse where a marvelous ward and the best of neighbors made life rich and rewarding.

Doug shared his strong faith with his neighbors as well as his family, and he enjoyed serving in many positions in the Church. Especially precious were his years spent as an ordinance worker in the Ogden Temple. As he became a grandparent, his desire to share his love and faith with the family grew stronger, and family reunions supplied the venue. His family loves the Oregon Coast. Rockaway Beach, Oregon brought many years of family gatherings, and he loved the giggles and laughter shared at the beach.

Another trait apparently hard-wired into Parry genetics was his love of ice cream. Tillamook satisfied many family cravings. He often used words with multiple meanings to express his feelings: “I suppose” or “mostly” were household expressions which always made the family wonder what he was really thinking.

Later, as his health and stability declined, he was well-served by the caring staff at Barrington Place (now The Peaks at Clinton). His entire family owes a debt of gratitude to the staff for the tender care rendered right up until Doug’s passing. He loved many workers there and was treated with special kindness as he received additional hospice care these last few months.

Doug was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents; and his beloved sister, Camille Olsen.

He is survived by his wife, Chris; his brothers, John (Sherlyn) Parry, and Niel (Shannon) Parry; his brother-in-law, Clare Olsen; and his children: Troy (Sharon) Parry, Shaun Parry, Todd (Alisha) Parry, A’Lece (Rob) Cochenour, Layna Wright, Anjanette (Russell) Evans, Avril Horvath, Devin (Becky) Parry, Bret (Jennie Lyn) Parry, and Philene (D. J.) Beynon.  He is the grandfather of 46, and a great-grandfather to 12, with several more ‘en route.’

As Doug approached the time to move to his next stage of existence, he was blessed by many visits from friends, children, their spouses, and grandchildren. These enriched his life with touch, laughter, and music which brought him great joy. Such attention may have made him consider staying on earth when his work here was indeed done. He may have been tempted, but only ‘mostly.’ Carry on, dear Husband, Doug, Dad, Daddy, Grandpa (“whatever”)!

The family suggests a donation to your local missionary fund as an alternative to flowers. Doug loved our missionaries!

Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2023, at the LDS Syracuse Church, 2228 South 1660 West, Syracuse, Utah.

Friends and relatives may visit with family on Friday, April 28, 2023, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Lindquist’s Syracuse Mortuary, 869 South 2000 West, Syracuse, Utah, and Saturday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment will be held at the Syracuse City Cemetery.

Services will be live-streamed and available by scrolling to the bottom of Douglas’ obituary.

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