Boyd Ellis Parish, 94, of Blackfoot, passed away Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at the Portneuf Medical Center.Boyd was born on July 22, 1922 in Elba, Idaho to Ellis Robert Parish and Ethel B. Durfee. He graduated from the Malta High School in Malta, Idaho. Following high school, he worked as a farm hand until he was drafted into the
Army in November of 1942. Boyd served in the Army during
WWII and while on active duty he married his hometown sweetheart Hilda Pettingill on Jan. 15, 1944. He was honorably discharged in November 1945.Following his service, Boyd used his GI Bill to go to attend Albion Normal School. He finished their four-year teaching program in three years.In 1948, Boyd took his first teaching job in Richfield, Idaho. He then taught at in Shoshone before moving his little family to Alaska where he taught from 1953-60. During that time, Alaska was merely a territory and he and his family found it a great adventure to be up in that part of the country. They moved to Canada in May 1961 for a time before moving to Burley, Idaho where Boyd finished his nearly 40-year teaching career at the Mountain View Middle School. After he retired, he and his wife followed their children to Blackfoot where he has called home ever since.Boyd was very much a family man and enjoyed spending time with his children. During their time in Copper Center, Alaska, Boyd would help entertain his children by coming up with countless games for them to play together and take his family on car rides to explore their surroundings. Wherever Boyd went he never met a stranger and was a very kind man. He was well thought of, especially in the communities where he lived, served, and taught. Boyd always took interest in people's backgrounds and cultures. He also enjoyed studying history, writing silly poems, and lovingly terrorizing his grandchildren any way he could.He is survived by his children, Ronald Parish, of Carey, Idaho; Vicki (Darrell) Clifford, of Blackfoot; Valerie (Blair) Furniss, of Pingree; his brother, Phil Parish, of Fillmore, Utah; 15 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren.Boyd is preceded in death by his wife, Hilda; his parents, his sons, Rodney Parish and Randy Parish; son-in-law, Darrell Clifford; siblings, Garth Parish, Pier Parish, and Olga Critchfield.A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday Oct. 28 at the Hawker Funeral Home, 132 S. Shilling Ave. The family will meet with friends and relatives on Thursday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home and again one hour prior to the services. Interment will follow in the Riverside-Thomas Cemetery.
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