Louis Daniel Parham Jr.

PARHAM, Louis Daniel Jr., of Hampton, was born in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1931 to Louis D. Parham Sr. and Miriam Reaves and grew up in Charlotte County, Virginia. He attended Randolph-Henry High School from 1944 to 1948 and received his high school diploma in 1948. After graduating from high school, he attended Bluefield College from 1948 to 1950. After that he enrolled at the University of Richmond and received a BA degree in 1952. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary followed and he received a Master of Divinity Degree in 1955. He was ordained as Baptist Minister in September of 1953. He filled in as Minister for Sunday Services at various churches from time to time. He officiated at wedding ceremonies for friends and family. He assisted the Priest in the wedding of his son, Dan and daughter-in-law, Monica. He joined the United States Army in 1957 and served in Korea from 1957 to 1958 and continued in the Army until 1959. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Korean War Veterans Association. In 1960, he attended Hampden-Sydney College to complete Science requirements prior to attending Medical School. After this was completed in 1961, he enrolled at the Medical College of Virginia. In 1965, he graduated with a Medical Degree. He began his post-graduate training in 1965 at Petersburg General Hospital and finished this in 1966. Beginning in 1966, he was a Family Practice Physician in Northern Neck, Virginia for the next four years. In 1970, he and his family moved to Hampton, Virginia where he would be a Family Practice Physician for the next 37 years. During that time, he served as President of the Hampton Medical Society. He was also a Delegate to the Medical Society of Virginia, representing the Hampton Medical Society. He was the Vice Councilor and Councilor representing the First District with the Medical Society of Virginia. He was a member of the American Academy of Family Practice for many years. He was on the Staff at Sentara Hampton General Hospital (now Sentara Careplex Hospital) where he served as Chairman of the Family Practice Department. At Mary Immaculate Hospital, he was Chairman of the Internal Medicine - Family Practice Department and later became the Chief Of Staff. He also was an Assistant Medical Examiner while in the Northern Neck and after he moved to Hampton for a number of years. He retired from Medical Practice after 41 years of practice. He continued to be a Member of the Medical Society of Virginia and the American Medical Association after his retirement. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and a Shriner. His hobbies included woodworking, hunting, fishing, golf, and Ping-Pong. He was awarded his first Ping-Pong Tournament Trophy at the age of 18. He was predeceased by his sister, Mary Elizabeth Parham Lenhart, and a brother, William Jere Parham. He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Nona Dell Pillow Parham; his two children, Karol Renee Parham and Louis Daniel Parham III and his wife, Monica; his sister, Panzie Pruitt; and many nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be conducted at 3 p.m. Sunday, August 23, 2009 at Fox Hill Road Baptist Church by Pastor Thomas Larson. A graveside service will be conducted at 3:30 p.m. Monday at Midway Baptist Church Cemetery, 2595 Midway Road, Phenix, Va. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 1332 North Halsted Street, Suite 201, Chicago, Illinois 60642-2642, or Fox Hill Road Baptist Church, 335 Fox Hill Road, Hampton, Va. 23669. Arrangements by R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home, Hampton.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.