Francis Parrish

Francis Eugene Parrish Jr., age 79 of Hamilton, passed away at home on Monday, June 19, 2017. Franciswas born in Hamilton, Ohio on December 16, 1937 to Francis E. Sr. and Mary P. (Bozarth) Parrish. He was the founder of the Butler County Swim League, the ELKS Swim Club, and received a lifetime achievement award from the YMCA for swimming. Francis is in both the Butler County and the City of Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame. He was a swim and dive official of the OHSAA, the YMCA, and the NCAA. Francis was a Police Officer and heavily involved in the FOP. While in all of these positions he served as an official and unofficial mentor for so many people. He encouraged others to pursue their passions and goals, taught them the value of hard work, dedication, and loyalty. He gave many people their start at something whether it be as a new patrolman, a new official, a first job, or starting out in the world of swimming or coaching. He loved the water and traveling to Sanibel Island with his family every year. On February 1, 1976, he married his soulmate, Kristine Tenbusch.

Francis is survived by his wife, Kristine Parrish; his children, Gary (Kim) Parrish, Carol (Earnie) Dyke, Tom (Rachel) Parrish, Kristopher (Laine McDonnell) Parrish, Mollie (Mike) Zook; his grandchildren, Jason, Lydia, Hollie, Curt, Chloe, Keira, Maggie, George, and many great grandchildren; his siblings, Sylvia Hesler and Ronald (Effie) Parrish; his dear friends, Claudia, Mike, and Tom; and numerous other family members and friends.

Memorial service will be held at Brown Dawson Flick Funeral Home, 1350 Millville Avenue, Hamilton, Ohio, on Saturday, July 29, 2017 at 1:00 PM. Memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2017 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Brown Dawson Flick Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Butler County Swim League c/o Amy Fryer www.bcslonline.com or Crossroads Hospice www.crhcf.org/donate.