Donald "Donny" Lee Parrish

Donald 'Donny' Lee Parrish of Georgetown, Texas passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 9, 2025, from complications of ALS-Lou Gehrig's Disease.

He was born in Ballinger, Texas on February 6, 1952, to T.A. 'Buster' and Dorothy Parrish. A 5th Generation Texan, Donny grew up in Ballinger on the Bluff overlooking Elm Creek & nearby ranches exploring, hunting arrowheads, rustling horny toads, collecting soda pop bottles to sell down at the icehouse for extra change, and dispatching jackrabbits, snakes and varmints.

He attended Ballinger schools, graduating from the High School as a NSF National Science Foundation scholarship winner, President of BHS' National Honor Society, and Salutatorian of BHS' Class of 1970. After high school, he went on to University of Texas/Austin and was a Copy Editor, staff writer, and Managing Editor of UT's award-winning Pearl Magazine. He created ads and penned feature articles for the monthly and won a Southwestern Journalism Conference award for feature writing. He graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Texas/Austin 1974 with an Advertising/Journalism degree, Phi Eta Signa & Phi Kappa Phi honors, and minor in Archaeology/Anthropology.

After graduating, for the next 10 years, Donny went back to Ballinger, Texas and managed his family's GE franchise store while his father was ill, moved on to be a TX/NM District Manager for Roper Appliance Corp., and finally an Advertising & Sales Promotion Manager for a large regional wholesale distributor in Amarillo, Texas. During that time, he met and married the true love of his life and best friend Kathy. Their two sons Carson and Dylan were born in Amarillo.

In 1984, he joined Petersen Publishing (Motor Trend, Hot Rod Magazines) in Dallas and for the next 20 years was a national accounts manager, and later, Group Publisher of niche consumer automotive magazines. He moved on to run US News & World Report's Dallas office, and later was a key media, branding, and advertising advisor to the National Rifle Association (NRA). The last few years of his work-life were as a self-directed landman--researching, locating, clearing title, leasing, and managing his family's oil & gas assets in the TX-NM Permian Basin.

Donny was an avid reader & researcher, hands-on do-it-yourselfer, and jack of all trades with a bear-trap memory: he could figure out & fix just about anything. He also was an FCC-licensed Ham Radio Operator (KA5OXN/SK), certified Storm Spotter, and a longtime member & past officer of the Sun City/Georgetown Amateur Radio Club.

Donny was richly blessed with a wonderful loving & caring family, loyal lifelong friends, and had a happy and wonderful life-well-lived, just cut way too short. He was a faithful Christian, former church deacon, devoted husband to his sweetheart Kathy for over 47 years, loving father and grandfather, and lifelong friend to so many good people who prayed for and kept in touch with him to the very end. We will miss his smile, humor, quick wit, love, wisdom, advice, and direction.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Kathy; her two sons, Carson and Dylan, daughter in-law, Anyssa, two granddaughters, Madeline and Preslee, and grandson, Santana. He is proceeded in death by his father, Buster Parrish, mother, Dorothy Parrish, sister, Grace Ann Andrews Taylor, aunt, Helen Parrish Peddy, and many other beloved family members.