Dr. Leo Gillis Parrish, Jr.

Dr. Leo Gillis Parrish, Jr. of Statesboro, Georgia passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on Saturday, June 28th following an 85 year-long, adventure-filled life.

Born at Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta to Clara Martin and Leo Parrish, Leo grew up in College Park and East Point, Georgia, spending a few years in Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated from Russell High School, where he was a 4-year member of the National Honor Society, served as a page in the Georgia Senate, received a Senior Superlative and was a National Merit Scholar. A proud alumnus of the Georgia Institute of Technology, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi and multiple engineering honor societies, and a devoted fan of the Yellow Jackets. He participated in Army ROTC; was named Superior Freshman Cadet; and served as President of the National Society of Scabbard and Blade, the highest honor for an advanced military cadet. In 1961 Leo earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering with Honor and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, where he completed paratrooper training and served in the Signal Corps. He returned to Georgia Tech; earned a Master of Science in Industrial Management; and accepted a management position with American Telephone and Telegraph Company. He resided in Chatham, New Jersey, while engaged as the Transmission Engineer on AT&T’s C.S. Long Lines, the cable ship that laid the first repeater transatlantic cable from Rhode Island to Spain in 1969. Following several years of work aboard ship and in Manhattan he returned to Atlanta and Georgia Tech, earning a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering in 1973.

In 1974 Leo accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Management in the College of Business Administration at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, embarking on a long and auspicious new career in higher education that leveraged his own background in technology. With his colleague Dr. Harry Carter, he established the first computer laboratory at the University. He held numerous leadership positions, becoming Chair of the Department of Management in 1977 and serving in the Faculty Senate. He was renowned as an outstanding teacher of challenging courses and enhanced the lives of thousands of students during his tenure at GSU. He became Dean of the School of Business at Savannah State University in 1981 but returned to GSU as the Director of Economic Development and Business Research in 1991. He continued his service to the University as Interim Dean of several different colleges, including: Arts and Sciences; Health and Professional Studies; Science and Technology; and Education. He received an honorary Doctorate from the College of Health and Professional Studies and the Georgia Southern University Award for Excellence in Service. Leo retired from GSU on May 5, 2000.

Leo was an active member and Elder of First Presbyterian Church of Statesboro and the Savannah Presbytery for more than 50 years. He was a long-time member of Optimist International, serving as chapter President, and worked with Habitat for Humanity, earning its Golden Hammer Award in 2004. An avid outdoorsman, he particularly enjoyed hunting quail and saltwater fishing near coastal Georgia’s barrier islands. He participated in numerous agricultural conservation programs on his family farm along the Ogeechee River, planting sunflowers and millet, raising quail, and managing timber. A follower of the Atlanta Braves since childhood, he personally participated in recreational softball, basketball, volleyball, and bowling leagues for many years. Leo adored his grandchildren (almost enough to forgive Haley, Matt and Liam for their allegiance to his most bitter college rivals) and enjoyed attending their concerts, dance recitals, and sporting events. He appreciated music of many genres, from Bob Dylan to traditional sea shanties, sang in the church choir for decades, and even attended Woodstock. He travelled the world, first through his work with AT&T and later with his beloved wife Marti, visiting cities throughout Europe, Asia and North and South America. At the time of his passing, Leo was still planning trips, finalizing construction of a sawmill, and searching for the secret of how best to organize his world-class collection of tools and building materials.

Leo is survived by his wife, Martha “Marti” Combs Parrish; his children, Christina Parrish Stone (Cliff) of St. Augustine, Florida; Leo Parrish III (Susan) of Statesboro; Kathleen Parrish Burdette (Warren) of Jackson, Georgia; Lindsey Thomas Murphy (Tim) of Greensboro, North Carolina; Lauren Thomas (Alan Duncan) of Berlin, Germany; his sister, Judith Parrish Lowrance of Floyd, Virginia; and nine grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Statesboro on Saturday, July 5th. Visitation will begin at 1 pm with the service at 2 pm followed by a reception. Burial will follow at Eastside Cemetery at 4:30PM.

Honored to serve as pallbearers are Cliff Stone, Leo Parrish III, Liam Rainey, and Matt Friedl. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to any of the following organizations are welcomed:

First Presbyterian Church of Statesboro, 1215 Fair Road, Statesboro, GA 30458

Georgia Southern University Foundation, P.O. Box 1107, Statesboro, Georgia 30459

Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc., 760 Spring Street, NW, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30308

Deal Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements.