Jean Chitwood Parsley's Obituary
Jean Chitwood Parsley, 96, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Dallas, TX, after several years of dementia. We were fortunate to be able to visit her daily during the last 2 months of her life, despite the COVID restrictions.
She was born October 25, 1923 in Franklin, Nebraska to Ray and Josephine Chitwood. She and her brother Kenneth Chitwood were close throughout their lives. Jean graduated from Bayard High School in Bayard, Nebraska in 1941, and then moved to Denver and attended business college. She moved to Los Angeles during WWII to work, where she met her future husband, Claude R. Parsley. They married on February 20, 1949. In October 1953 they moved to Boulder, Colorado, where they raised their three children.
Jean worked for over 30 years as a school secretary at Paddock, Mesa and Bear Creek Elementary Schools in Boulder, where she enjoyed the interaction with students and teachers, along with the challenges associated with working directly under the principal.
She had a very strong Christian faith and was an active member of the Church of Christ throughout her adult life. As hobbies, she enjoyed walking with friends and reading. She was an avid fan of the CU Buffaloes; she and Claude held season tickets to CU football games for over 20 years.
Jean is survived by her three children, Jeff Parsley (and Teresa), Debbie Dees and Brett Parsley, eight grandchildren, Julia Parsley, Sophia Jellum, Casey Lafferty (and Margo), Cale Lafferty (and Lindsay), Katy DeBord (and Jim), Rebekah Ibberson (and Matt), Rachel Renteria (and Jesus), Jessica Reeder (and Aaron), and sixteen great grandchildren. She is also survived by nephew Steve Chitwood and nieces Chris Flohr (and Paul) and Lisa Chitwood.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Claude (in 2002), brother Kenneth (and wife Phyllis) and son-in-law Chuck Dees.
A memorial service will be held to honor her life at Darrell Howe Funeral Home. She will be laid to rest next to her husband at Green Mountain Cemetery in Boulder, CO on Tuesday, August 4, 2020.
She lived a full life as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, and will be sorely missed by her family and friends.
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