JOHN RAYMOND PARSONS

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JOHN RAYMOND PARSONS Died suddenly on December 20, 2008. John will be missed more than mere words can express by his loving wife Julianne, sons Grant and Craig (Mary) and their sons Aidan, Robert and Nathan. John is also survived by his mother Alice in Penticton, BC, brothers Jim (Lorrine) in Surrey, BC, and Ken (Isabell) in Spruce Grove, Alberta and his sister Joan Conklin (Rick) in New Sarepta, Alberta; numerous nieces and nephews and a loving family of in-laws. John was predeceased by his father Herbert (Smokey) in 2002 and his brother Ron in 2005. John was born in Calgary, AB on August 8, 1948. John's dad was in the Armed Forces so the family moved several times, living in Calgary and Chilliwack, BC before moving to Winnipeg in 1965. John attended Grant Park High School and Tech Voc. He worked his way through high school at various jobs such as washing trucks at Eaton's, unloading boxcars and working for a moving company. John began a 26 year career in advertising sales at the Winnipeg Free Press in 1968. When he left the Free Press, he decided to get his Class 1 driver's license. His first job was with Glenat Enterprises. Since 1999 he has been driving a tandem dump truck for Bayview Construction. John was a valued employee and brought the same kind of dedication and reliability to his driving as he did to all aspects of his life. In the past John enjoyed many fishing trips with his family and friends and especially loved fishing on Amisk Lake near Flin Flon. John also enjoyed hunting with the guys up at Erickson but truth be told, he enjoyed being out in the country and the company of his friends more than the actual hunt. In recent years he made a great effort to learn as much as he could about the financial markets and did enjoy a good discussion on the subject. He also spent time learning how to use a computer and would work at a problem until he figured it out. In keeping with John's wishes, cremation has taken place and no service will be held. A donation in John's memory to Siloam Mission or the Victoria General Hospital Foundation would be appreciated. The family would like to express its appreciation to friends for rallying around at this difficult time. We would also like to thank the Winnipeg Ambulance Service and Emergency staff at the Victoria General Hospital.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 27, 2008