WILLIAM ROBERTS "BILL" PARKINSON

PARKINSON WILLIAM "BILL" ROBERTS
William "Bill" Roberts Parkinson, 83, of California, PA, died July 5, 2011. He was born on December 4, 1927 in North Charleroi, son of the late William and Madeline Roberts Parkinson. He was a former resident of Monessen. Mr. Parkinson is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ruth Parkinson; his five children, Becky (Lee) Keevican, Bill (Bonnie) Parkinson, Mark Parkinson, Meg Tomko, MaryRuth (Michael) Decembrino; twelve grandchildren; two great- grandchildren; and three sisters and brothers-in-law, Lois (Lee) Jones, Mary (Bill) Gilman, and Catherine (Dave) Keener. A graduate of Monessen High School and Washington & Jefferson College, he went on to earn a Masters Degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh. Bill was a teacher and coach of basketball and baseball at Monongahela High School and Wilkinsburg High School, then moved on to a position as Assistant Dean of Men at California University of Pennsylvania until he retired in 1987. In addition, Bill worked over 60 years as a basketball and football official in high school, college, and professional leagues. As a college football official, he officiated for such major universities as Pitt, Penn State, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Miami, and Ohio State and was selected as the Head Referee for both the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. In professional football, he was a Head Referee for the United States Football League, Arena Football League, World Football League, and served as an instant replay official in the National Football League in 1990. He was the recipient of the Dave Fawcett Award in 1978 as an Outstanding College Official in the Tri-State Area and was inducted into the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. Visitation will be held in the RHOME FUNERAL HOME INC., 1209 Grand Blvd. Monessen on Friday from 1-3 and 6-8 p.m. Services will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the Funeral Home, with Pastor David Zona officiating. Interment will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, California, PA.
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