Shirley Anne Parrish

Shirley Anne Parrish, 82, of Chester, a longtime member of Calvary Baptist Church, was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on Saturday, January 11, 2020. She was preceded in death by her mother, Mabel Woods Purcell; father, Edwin A. Purcell; husband, John “Jack” Thomas Parrish, III; and daughter, Lisa Kaye Parrish. She was a registered nurse who proudly served in the U.S. Army. Shirley and her roommate were the first 2 women in the Army Student Nursing Program in Indiana. She graduated from Union Hospital School of Nursing in Terre Haute in 1958. After graduating, she entered the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant, where she met her husband, Jack, at Ft. Rucker. She and her husband were stationed in Germany. After being discharged from the Army, she resided in Colonial Heights and Danville before moving to Chester in 1966. Shirley and Jack were the owners and operators of Chester Drugs from 1966-1995. Shirley was very involved in her children’s lives, to include being a softball coach, school room mother and Cub Scout den mother. She never missed one of her children’s activities. Shirley and Jack would collect food and toiletries from local stores and keep it to be distributed to people in need from 1996-2008. She is survived by her son, Steven Thomas Parrish and wife, Barbara; 2 daughters, Kelly Smith and husband Chris and Tracy Parrish Robinson and husband Stephen; 5 grandchildren, Carley Jordan Smith, Jacob Thomas Parrish, Hailey Anne Smith, Abigail Grace Robinson and Mason Parrish Robinson; and sister, Jeanne Purcell Mapp. The family will receive friends at the Chester Chapel of J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home on Thursday, January 16, 2020, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held at Calvary Baptist Church on Friday, January 17, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. with interment to follow at Sunset Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Calvary Baptist Church in memory of Shirley. Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com .