Marlene Parma

Marlene Parma, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, in Georgetown, Texas.  Born on July 17, 1931, in Groesbeck, Texas, she was the eleventh of twelve children.  Marlene lived a life filled with love, compassion, and dedication to her family.

You could say that our Mom, Marlene, was a lot, and a force to be reckoned with at times. Her acerbic tongue was known to us all and we loved her fiercely, the matriarch of our family. She was generous, kind, smart, witty, and a whole lot sassy. She grew up Baptist, one of 12 siblings, and life was hard for them. Mom married Rudy, our Dad, who was a Catholic, so she converted.  She and Dad raised us in the Catholic faith. As good Catholics, they had 5 children. In their later years, after attending a couple of in-depth Bible studies, they joined the Lutheran Church, and were faithful churchgoers. In their early married life, Dad raised orchids, and Mom made beautiful corsages for the older teenaged young men in our neighborhood to give to their girlfriends. In her late 30s, Mom went to college and became a nurse and worked in surgery, the cardiac wing and rounded out her career by working as a private-duty nurse. She often brought orchids in the evenings after work to some of her favorite patients at the hospital. When one of our friends found herself in trouble, and Mom found out, she took her to the doctor. Then, when another friend found herself newly single with a baby, Mom bought a bag or two of groceries and had them delivered. She was the kind of person who stepped up to help when she knew help was needed. Having a heart and affinity for the homeless, Mom volunteered at Henry’s Place in Beaumont for over 7 years, not sitting around, but lifting heavy tubs of laundry detergent and washing and drying the clothes of the homeless who frequented there. After Dad retired, they traveled and took special vacations accompanied by their children and grandchildren. The older grandchildren have fond memories of spending summers at grandma and grandpas, hanging out with their cousins, going to the Pompano Club to swim and going out to eat at favorite restaurants. Mom really loved her grandchildren. Mom made lots of friends over the years and played in different Bridge Clubs and Pokeno for many years. Mom loved to host holiday dinners, especially Thanksgiving and was an excellent cook. It was not unusual to have not only immediate family at these dinners, but some in-laws and even ex- in-laws at times. Sadly, last Thanksgiving really was Mom’s last. Those gatherings will never be the same without her.

Our mom, Marlene, was preceded in death by her parents, her first grandbaby, Michelle Savoy, her siblings and their spouses, and her husband of 68 years, Rudy. She leaves behind her children, Pam Mingle (Chuck Schroeder), Pat Parma, Paul Parma, Dawn Parma, David Parma (Paula), and grandchildren, Amanda Savoy (Gabe Rodriguez), Lindsay Tamez (Neil), Michael Savoy (Amanda G), Allison Gebauer (Kit), Sarah Adams (Chris), Katherine Creamer (Casey), Emily Brinker (Daniel), 17 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, Ryder Savoy.