Tiger Nation bids farewell to Parish

Positive, caring, awesome and the epitome of Team Tiger are a few of words used to describe Debra Parish, who will retire in June as Neelyville R-IV Superintendent.

Coworkers, friends, family members and veterans, as well as those representing state and national legislators, gathered Thursday to honor Parish, who chose to spend 32 years of her 35 years in education in her hometown.

School board president Paul Petty and vice president Bob Burgett shared how they feel about Parish and her dedication to her community, school and veterans.

Petty told Parish “how blessed we were to have you.”

Burgett is a U.S. Navy veteran who returned to his hometown of Neelyville upon retirement. He quoted Winston Churchill in describing Parish, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Burgett told the group, Parish didn’t work eight hours a day, “she doubled that and worked seven days a week.”

He said people like Parish “are the people who plant the seeds” in the community, are driving the ship, are uplifting with their gracious strength and know when to ask for help and when to give help.

Burgett continued, saying in 2001 Parish started the program in the school to honor veterans. As a way to honor Parish, the veterans’ Honor Guard posted and retired the colors during the ceremony.

“Thank you, Mrs. Parish for the personal example in and out of school,” Burgett said.

High School Principal Justin Dobbins said, “I could thank you for an hour and a half and that probably would not be enough.”

Narrowing his praise to two words, Dobbins explained Parish had given investment and impact to the district for 32 years. He added, her “impact is huge and wide.”

Becoming emotional at times, Dobbins explained when he came to the school as a 29-year-old first-time principal, Parish invested in him and made an impact on his life.

“I cannot thank you enough,” Dobbins said.

Mike Schoelhamer, representing Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith, talked about Smith’s recent visit to the school. Schoelhamer also presented a plaque from Smith.

District 152 Rep. Hardy Billington, who was in Jefferson City with the state legislature, sent a resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives to honor Parish.

Reflecting on her honors, Parish said, “It has been a privilege and pleasure to be in education for 35 years. I have been so blessed and am grateful that I chose such a noble vocation for my career.

“I am thankful to the Neelyville boards of education, colleagues, students and parents with whom I have worked, for all their support throughout the years,” she said.

“I appreciate those who planned and produced my retirement celebration,” Parish said. “It was a ‘golden’ time and I will cherish the memories of the afternoon for years to come. I want to express my immense gratitude to those who came to share in the special event with me. I appreciate their honor, respect and support very much.”

She added it was “so special to have many of the veterans our district has honored throughout the years come and be a part of this memorable time. It was gratifying to publicly express, one last time, my great appreciation to them for their service to our country. I was humbled to receive the patriotic yard light and look forward to using (it).”

Parish said she wants “to express my sincerest thanks to my husband, Gary Parish, for all that he has done to help me in my educational career. I have often described us as a ‘packaged deal.’ My success as an educator has only been possible because of his assistance and support.”

“While I have loved and enjoyed my career, I am ready to rest and spend more time with my family. My hope is that the next years will be as rewarding as the last 35.”

Family members attending were her husband; daughters, Amanda Moore and Elizabeth Beaird; grandchildren, Jackson and Maclaren Moore, Ellison, Layton and Harlan Beaird; Elizabeth’s boyfriend, Justin Parker; her mother, Dorothy Atwell; aunts and uncles, Sam and Fran Atwell, Nellie and Tom Kirkley and Shirley and Jim Payne; sister and brother-in-law, Sirena and Chad Jones; sister, Cassie Gilmore; nephew and family, Jeffrey and Misty Gilmore and Hunter, Hank and Hestin; cousins, Donnie and Linda Hover and Jim and Cindy Hover; sisters-in-law, Sharon Gill and Donna and Ernie Phelan; and brother-in-law, Jerry Parish.