A beautiful soul, full of love and grace, Douglas Francis Parvi, loving and devoted father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend and husband of Laura Ann Johnson Parvi, of Warrenton, Oregon, passed away at the age of 63 on October 10, 2017, while on vacation with his family in Bronx, New York.
Doug, as his family and friends knew him, was born to Francis and Kathryn Leek Parvi on October 1, 1954, in Vancouver, Washington. He attended Lieser Elementary, McLoughlin Junior High, and was in the 1973 graduating class at Fort Vancouver High School. He later attended Clark College, and the Ron Bailie School of Broadcasting in 1981.
Warrenton, Oregon
October 1, 1954 – October 10, 2017
In 1974, Doug joined the Navy, enabling him to serve and explore many places including the East Coast of the U.S., San Diego, San Francisco, Japan, Cuba, Italy, France, Spain, Korea and the Philippines.
Doug lived a passionate life, but nothing could top his love of family, faith, music and the Washington Huskies! Doug loved sports from an early age. In elementary, junior high and high school he participated in football, baseball and track. He was the catcher on his Little League baseball team and the center on his high school football team.
In his youth Doug was an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, where he attended regularly with his family. He was an acolyte during his junior high and high school years. In his later years, Doug served God through his music and worship by playing on worship teams. Doug loved to play his guitar on Sundays at the Calvary Assembly of God.
Doug lived and breathed music. He took up the trombone, guitar and drums at an early age. Encouraged by their grandmother, Doug and his sister, Brenda, would perform for the family. Doug played in the junior high and high school bands and stage bands, alongside his sister.
During and after his high school years, Doug played trombone in the Portland State Stage band for the director, neighbor and friend, Don Cammack.
Doug participated in several sacred and secular performances during his lifetime as a songwriter, singer, drummer and guitarist. Doug was in a Christian band called Tried by Fire, who produced an album titled “The Sacrifice.” Music was so much more to Doug; music was his calling.
Watching college football on Saturdays brought him hours of enjoyment, especially when the Washington Huskies played. Doug was an enthusiastic and devoted Washington Husky fan. He loved to do his famous Husky dance when his team scored a touchdown, much to the annoyance of his children, who are avid Oregon Ducks fans.
Doug worked for 15 years at Safeway stores in Oregon. His last nine years he was employed at the Safeway in Astoria. He loved his Safeway family.
In addition to his wife, Laura, Doug is survived by his three sisters, Dian and Doug Lieberman of Olympia, Washington, Jane and Les Wilson of Camano Island, Washington, and Brenda and David McKay of Battle Ground, Washington; his children, Hannah Parvi of Canby, Oregon, Brittany Parvi of Eugene, Oregon, Douglas Parvi Jr. of Everson, Washington, Tonya and Kam Leon of Tacoma, Washington, Bryan Nelson of Texas and Heather Green of Texas; stepsons Chris and Shannan Jones of Astoria, Oregon, Ed and Kim Jones of Beaverton, Oregon, Aaron Jones of Salem, Oregon, Nick and Cristine Bredleau of Beaverton, Oregon, and Kevin Bredleau of Gresham, Oregon; grandchildren Hunter Nelson, Wesley, Isiah, and Noah Brown, and Josh, Ella, Brianna, Hannah, Sydney, Molly, Aubrey-Ann and Arabella Jones; nieces Elaine McArthur, Whitney and Ben Holland, Sara Corbin, Rachel Cooper and Amy Jessup; nephew Edward Wilson; great-nephews Oliver Jessup, Orion and Barret Wilson and Cooper Holland; great-niece Grace Corbin; and his ever faithful and loving dog, Washington.
Doug spent the last nine years of his life with his kind and caring wife, Laura, whom he continuously praised for her loving ways. She was truly the love of his life, and all of Doug’s family and friends are forever thankful they found each other and shared their unconditional love for each other. Their love, and their many adventures together, brought them both so much joy and happiness.
Family, friends and acquaintances will remember Doug for his kind heart, sweet smile, wonderful laugh, warm soul and his generous spirit. Doug loved with all of his heart. Doug always put others’ needs before his own. He did this on a daily basis by feeding the homeless, buying a co-worker new shoes, giving a customer money who went through his checkout stand at Safeway because they could not pay for their groceries, or bringing flowers to the staff at Columbia Memorial Hospital for nurses’ week or when they had a hard day.
A graveside service for Doug will be on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. at Greenwood Cemetery in Astoria, Oregon, followed by a memorial service at Calvary Assembly of God in Warrenton, Oregon, at 3:00 p.m. A potluck reception will follow at the church.
After the reception, bring the family, and please wear a Washington Husky shirt, and join us in watching the Huskies vs. Ducks game in Doug’s honor at Rod’s Bar & Grill (now known as Trina & Ron’s Place). The game time is 7:00 p.m.
A graveside service will be at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon, with full military honors, at a later date.
Donations can be made to the Clatsop County Relay For Life, where Doug has donated his time, his music, his heart and his love for others for the last nine years. Doug wrote and recorded a song dedicated to the Relay “Here We Go.” The 2018 Relay For Life will be dedicated to Doug.
