Sermons from St. John's Episcopal Church
May 21, 2024 |
Funeral Homily: Bill Parsons
| The Very Rev. Gideon L. K. Pollach
Funeral Homily: Bill Parsons
PARSONS--William Jr., of Locust Valley, NY, and Gulf Stream, FL, died on February 29, 2024. He was 81. Bill is survived by his wife, Terry Parsons; his children, William (Katherine) Parsons, Charles (Susan) Parsons, and Louise (Brian) Parry; his seven grandchildren, Olivia Parsons, Natalie Parsons, Ellory Parsons, Dylan Parry, William Parsons, Brooke Parry, and Charlotte Parry; and his sisters, The Rev. Dr. Llewelyn P. Smith and The Rev. Dr. Louise Parsons Pietsch. Bill attended The Buckley School and Phillips Exeter Academy and graduated from Yale University in 1965 and from Columbia Law School in 1968. He joined the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell in 1968, where he was a partner from 1977 until his retirement in 2000. Bill specialized in complex trusts and estates and was a pioneer of the firm's pension and trust investment practice. After his retirement, he remained with the firm as Senior Counsel. Bill served as a director and trustee for numerous organizations, including the Cedar Hill Foundation, Weezie Foundation, New York Backstretch Employees Pension Trust, Long Island Biological Association, The Buckley School, and The Episcopal School in the City of New York. Bill was a devoted member of The St. John's Episcopal Church Cold Spring Harbor, NY, serving in many leadership roles including Senior Warden. Bill will be remembered for his kindness, infectious laugh, love of racehorses, and gifted piano playing. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Bill's memory to St. John's Episcopal Church, 1670 Route 25 A, P.O. Box 266, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724.
Published by New York Times on Mar. 8, 2024.
