William Welch Parham

William Welch Parham, 80, of Winston-Salem passed away Thursday, Nov. 24, 2005, at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home. He was born Sept. 23, 1925, in Buncombe County to the late Troy Hilliard and Lula Welch Parham. Mr. Parham was the former vice president of Air Conditioning Corp. of Greensboro and the manager of the Winston-Salem office. He attended the University of North Carolina and N.C. State University before joining the V12 program at Georgia Tech in 1943. Following his discharge from the U.S. Navy, he graduated from Georgia Tech in 1946 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Mr. Parham was employed at P.H. Hanes Knitting and Wall Turner Heating and Air Conditioning. He joined the Air Conditioning Corp. in 1960. He retired in 2000 and was a member of the Professional Engineers of North Carolina. He was also a member of Highland Presbyterian Church, where he was a deacon, an elder and a Sunday school teacher. He was a former member of the Jaycees, Lion's Club, Forsyth Country Club and a founding member of Winston Salem Chapter of SPEBSQSA. He leaves behind his loving wife, Marianne Combs Parham; children, John Astor Parham of Winston-Salem, William Michael Parham (Karen) of Atlanta, Ga., James Berkley Parham (Nancy) of Winston-Salem and Penny Parham Worsham (Hugh) of Atlanta; grandchildren, John A. Parham Jr., Kathryn McLean Parham, David Michael Parham, Mattie McLean Worsham, Dustin Daniel Hamilton, J.B. Worsham and Jenna Worsham; great-grandchildren, Molly Ann Parham and William Johnson Parham; and his brother, Troy H. Parham of Kingsport, Tenn. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 28, at Highland Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends at the activities building of Highland Presbyterian Church immediately after the service. Memorials may be made to Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, Highland Presbyterian Church or the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America.