James Edwin Parrish

James Edwin Parrish died peacefully at his home in Lincoln, California on March 31st, 2025. He was surrounded by his wife Ione, daughter Andrea and son Bryan. He lived a full 90 years.

James (Jim) was born on October 8th, 1934, in Pembroke, Kentucky. He lived in Chicago, Illinois until the age of 17 when he and his family relocated to Yuba City, California, as his father, Ken Parrish, had been assigned to Camp Beale in Marysville to assist with converting it into an air base.

He attended Maine Township High School in Chicago through his junior year, and then graduated from Yuba City High School in 1953.

After graduating, Jim went on active duty with the California National Guard and was assigned to the U.S. Army Signal School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. There he obtained an education in electronics and radio and telephone communication. He served in the National Guard for eight years.

Jim returned to Yuba City in 1955 and briefly worked in his dad’s automobile shop, Ken’s Auto Appearance Center. He was recruited by KMYC radio in Marysville to put the radio station back on the air after the big flood of ‘55. After passing the FCC’s test in San Francisco, he obtained a First-Class Radio Telephone Operator’s License and became Chief Engineer at KMYC, responsible for operating the station's equipment – including climbing the tall radio towers to change light bulbs. His role expanded to include radio announcer, given his “money voice”, and he became known as “Gentleman Jim.” He also announced at KUBA radio in Yuba City and did a stint at KDON radio in the Monterey peninsula.

All the while, Jim kept in mind the comment he had seen on one of his officer’s reports at Army Signal School - “potential instructor material.”

In 1961, Jim married Elaine Blum in Yuba City, and in 1963 they had a daughter, Andrea. While working at the radio stations and taking care of baby Andrea, Jim attended Sacramento State University (1963-1968) earning his bachelor’s degree and a teaching credential. He began his teaching career at Sutter High School in 1968. He and Elaine divorced in the early 70’s and Jim moved to Pleasanton, California, where he taught Juniors and Seniors at Dublin High School for 26 years.

Jim and Ione fell in love in 1974 and decided to begin a life together. Ione (Coffey) Owens was originally from Portland, Oregon, but she agreed to move to California where they welcomed a son, Bryan. They lived in Pleasanton and shared a wonderful life together for 50 years. He would say of Ione, “She was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Jim was a builder at heart and one of his proudest achievements was building a cabin retreat on seven acres in the Sierra foothills near the town of Applegate. He, Ione and Bryan spent many summers there enjoying the country life and making improvements to the property. He and Ione retired to their “country barn” in 1997 and enjoyed 20 years there until maintaining the property became too much. In 2017 they moved to a simpler but lovely home in Lincoln Hills.

Jim enjoyed listening to “serious” music. At a very early age, he developed an appreciation for classical music by listening to the morning commuter radio station in Chicago. He learned to play the guitar, and built an entire harpsichord from a kit.

He was very mechanical and could fix anything. Jim grew up working in his dad’s automobile shop and had a keen interest in cars, motorcycles and airplanes. For starters, Jim drove an Indian Chief motorcycle from Chicago to California at the young age of 16. As a Yuba City High School senior, he joined the model-airplane club and his team won the Grand National Championship in 1953. His first car was a 1941 baby-blue Ford convertible, a “basket case” which his dad told him would be his after he put all the pieces back together. Over the years, he owned a 1937 Cord Phaeton, a couple of Cadillacs, several big Buicks and a Chevy Corvair. He rode a Yamaha XS-1100 motorcycle to his Dublin High teaching job, and got a kick out of cruising alongside Hells Angels on the way to work.

Jim was a man of many talents and skills, and throughout his lifetime acquired a vast education across many disciplines. His lifetime resume would include many different jobs including field hand, auto mechanic, Arthur Murray dance instructor, roller rink floor manager, radio engineer and announcer, and ultimately his true calling, teacher.

He really loved teaching – particularly the seniors on the verge of adulthood. In addition to teaching Electronics, U.S. History, Civics and Drama, he developed and taught courses in Psychology, Bachelor Cooking, and History of the Automobile. And he really loved the kids – even the “bandits” as he called them – and that, plus his varied life experiences, made him a great and well-loved teacher. Jim was something of a legend at Dublin High. His students looked forward to taking his senior classes from the time they started as freshmen. Upon his retirement he received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes with many shouts of “P-Dog!” as he was affectionately known.

In his retirement years Jim stayed quite active: traveling and exploring the U.S. and Canada with Ione, keeping fit with walking, senior exercise classes, and clearing his acreage and burning brush each year. He volunteered his time at the Towe Auto Museum in Sacramento and later at the Auburn Interfaith Food Closet. He was an avid reader, enjoyed listening to music and kept up his daily walks and Sudokus to stay healthy and keep his mind sharp as long as possible. He loved his family, and enjoyed many memorable family occasions and adventures.

Jim is survived by his wife, Ione Parrish, his sister, Auburn Riesche, daughter, Andrea English, son, Bryan Parrish, and four grandchildren: Margaret English, Julia English, Madison Parrish and Jackson Parrish.

Donations in Jim’s honor may be made to:

• Colla Voce of the Sierra (collavoce.org)

• Cancer Research Institute (CRI)

• American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)