LINDSBORG - Parr, John Mays Jr. (Jack), 78, died Sunday, January 4 at his home in Lindsborg. Born March 13, 1936, in Louisville, Kentucky, he was raised in Richmond, Virginia, where he attended St. Christopher's Episcopal Prep School. He came to Kansas in 1954 on an athletic scholarship to play basketball for Coach Tex Winter at Kansas State University. Following a record-setting college basketball career, he joined the Cincinnati Royals National Basketball Association. In 1956, Jack led a roster of college athletes who attended the first Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Estes Park, Colorado, initiated and led numerous FCA camps at Rock Springs, Kansas, during the next ten years. Jack also officiated college basketball for ten years in the Big Eight Conference. He had a stellar sales career with Knights Sporting Goods Company before opening Jack Parr Associates, Inc. in 1969. Aided by his wife, Ann, they wrote customer relations training materials known as WE CARE and implemented the program in 14 countries and 47 states to nearly one-half million service-sector personnel. Forty-six years later, the company continues to provide training and materials to an international consultant network. Jack was known as an exceptionally generous person with an entrepreneurial spirit, and one who innately built and developed relationships with all types of personalities. He was especially drawn to marginal, displaced persons, providing food for the hungry and means for finding shelter and gaining an education. Jack is survived by his wife, Ann, of the home; daughter Cheri of Salina; son Michael of Erie, Colorado; son Donn and wife Sandy of Benton, Kansas; stepdaughter Cynda Zurfluh and husband Keven Golla, Oak Hill, Virginia; stepdaughter Robyn Zurfluh, Atlanta, Georgia; brother Bruce and wife Brenda of Carthage, Tennessee; sons Aleeit Easley and Dante McGrew; 13 grand and step-grandchildren, and an international gathering of colleagues and friends. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 11 a.m. in Presser Auditorium on the Bethany College Campus followed by a reception at the Sundstrom Conference Center in downtown Lindsborg. Memorials: Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, Wichita, Kansas; Church of the Saviour, Washington, D.C.; and Circles of the Heartland, Salina and Circles of McPherson County, McPherson Kansas.

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Published by Wichita Eagle on Jan. 7, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for John Parr

3 Entries

Jim Turgeon

January 7, 2015

Donn and Parr family, I'm really sorry for your loss and my thoughts and prayers are with you.

January 7, 2015

Dear Parr family,
I did not know Jack personally but several years ago I sent him an autograph request because I love KSU sports history. He graciously signed a pic of him blocking Wilt and sent it back to me. I will cherish this forever. Last year I had the chance to thank him personally at the KSHOF banquet and took my picture with him. He was a very nice man and a great representation of KSU athletics. He will be missed.

My condolences,
Corey Reed
Wichita, KS

Harlan Hobbs Jr

January 7, 2015

What an inspirational man. Although I didn't know him well in Salina, I always admired his integrity and motivational qualities.

One incident I recall shows the kind of respect he received. My father took me to a KU/KSU basketball game at the old fieldhouse in Manhattan many years ago. We are loyal KU fans, so you know who we were rooting for.

Anyway, at some point in the game, one of referees was injured and couldn't continue. In those days, there were only two officials on the floor, and there were none in reserve. However, Mr. Parr was in the audience, and even though he was a former star at KSU, the league called on him to help officiate the rest of the game. To the best of my knowledge, there was little or no outcry from the KU folks because they knew of Mr. Parr's character.

That probably happened at least 40 years ago or more, but I still remember it.

My deepest condolences to his entire family.

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