Mr. Robert Thomas “Jesus Hat Bob” Parrish Sr., 78, of Kingsland died on Friday, May 7, 2021, from complications of Covid and pneumonia.
Bob, as he was known to family and friends, was born on Feb. 1, 1943, to Orville and Margaret Parrish in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He was the second of four sons. He was a longtime employee of South Carolina Electric and Gas. He worked as a control room operator in Walterboro, South Carolina, and was one of the first nuclear power control room operators in Columbia, South Carolina. While living in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he worked for Abbott Laboratories.
He married Anita C. Parrish on Aug. 8, 2008. In December 2020, he retired from Camden County Schools where he worked as the driver of Bus No. 704 and as a custodian at the high school where he got the nickname Jesus Hat Bob because of the many Jesus baseball caps he wore.
Bob is survived by his wife, Anita C. Parrish of Kingsland; his daughter, Deborah (David) Long of Canton, Georgia; son, Robert Thomas (Katherine) Parrish Jr. of Kingsland; daughter, Hailee Sue Parrish of Kingsland; stepdaughters, Corinthia (Joseph) Sanchez of Kingsland and Hannah (Eric) Johnson of Jacksonville, Florida; seven grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; brothers, Orville (Etta Ruth) Parrish of Grayson, Georgia, and N. Joel (Judy) Parrish of Fayetteville, Georgia; sister-in-law, Barbara Parrish of Goose Creek, South Carolina; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents Orville Glenn Parrish Sr. and Margaret Dickson Parrish, and his brother, Richard F. Parrish.
A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 29, at The Harbor Worship Center located at 140 Colerain Road in Kingsland. Rev. Michael Sanes will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Harbor Worship Center Africa fund to build a church in Gambia, Africa. Donations may be made at the kiosk in the church, visiting www.harborwc.com or texting (912) 244-8838.