John D. Parkman

HENDERSONVILLE - John Douglas Parkman, 84, of Hendersonville, N. C., passed away at Mission Hospital Cardiac Center, Asheville, N. C. on Feb. 12, 2013, surrounded by the members of his family who resided in North Carolina.
He was born on Aug. 16, 1928, in Pembroke, Mass., to the late William Edgar Russell Parkman, Jr. and late Charlotte Reeves Douglas Parkman. John was also preceded in death by his first wife, Shirley White, of East Andover, Maine; two sisters, Harriet Glover, of East Andover, Maine and Lois O'Leary, of Mexico, Maine.
He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Frances Parkman, of Hendersonville; sons, Roderick Parkman and wife Karen, of Hendersonville, James Parkman, of Valdez, Alaska; daughters, Laurel Thompson and husband Gary, of Belington, W.Va., and Michele Kent, of Valdese, N.C.; brother, David Parkman; sisters, Jean Miner, of Plant City, Fla.; seven grandchildren, Alex Parkman, of Forrestville, N.Y., Valerie Griffen and husband, Shane, of Dalton, Ga., Kelly Jewett and husband, Jonathan, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, Seth Thompson, of Belington, W.Va., Bethany Matheny and husband David, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, Iris Thompson, of Belington, W. Va., and Cameron Duncan, of Hendersonville; six great-grandchildren, Leila and Dexter Parkman, of Forrestville, N.Y., Elijah Watson, Scarlett Watson and Layla Matheny, of Clarksburg, W.Va., and Grace Forrest.
Mr. Parkman moved with his family in 1945 to East Andover, Maine. He served in the military at Carlisle Barracks Army Hospital from 1954 to 1956. John Parkman was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in January 1958 in Rockland, Maine. He served faithfully as a minister and witness of Jehovah from then until his death.
John was employed by Boise Cascade in Rumford, Maine for 32 years. He retired in 1983 to pursue his ministry for Jehovah's Witnesses in Brevard, N.C. He and his wife, Frances, returned to Maine for three years from 1996 to 1999, lived in Hinton, W.Va., for three years from 1999 to 2002 and then returned to the Brevard/Hendersonville area in North Carolina. Mr. Parkman was known primarily for his whole-hearted devotion to his religious faith. His friends also knew that he could do just about any job he was determined to do, even if he had to invent something to accomplish it. He had a great sense of humor, was a loyal friend to many and showed a deep love for his family. John will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2013, at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1305 Fifth Ave. West, Hendersonville, N.C., with Richard Whobrey officiating.
Asheville Mortuary Services is in charge of the arrangements.