Donald Dean Parmelee, age 72, passed away on March 29, 2020, in Euless, TX, after succumbing to several medical issues related to Parkinson's Disease.

“Donnie”, as he was known to those from his hometown, was born in Liberal, KS, on January 12, 1948, to the proud parents Margaret and Lymon “Pete” Parmelee. He grew up on the family farm close to Turpin, OK, just south of Liberal, KS. He went to school in Turpin from beginning to end, and made lifelong friends during that time.
Don also had a blood disorder called hemophilia, and ended up spending a good bit of his senior year in the hospital after his appendix ruptured. The outpouring of love and encouragement from loved ones and the community helped him heal and graduate with his friends from Turpin High School in 1966.

After graduating high school, he went on to college and graduated in 1972 with a bachelors degree in Secondary Education and Teaching. While in college he met Marilyn “Sue” Gathright. They were married in 1971, and had two children, Rebecca in 1972, and Clint in 1974. They began their time together in south west Kansas where Don began working in the Oil Field, having several different experiences throughout his career from pump rebuilder, to salesman(inside and field), to management.

After his divorce from Sue, he spent several years in Odessa, TX, and eventually ended up in Dallas/Fort Worth, more Dallas than Fort Worth, and continued most of the rest of his life and career as a salesman in the Oil and Energy Industry.

In addition to learning how to live life with Hemophilia, in 2010 Don was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
In learning how to live a full and complete life with Parkinson’s, he eventually found the Parkinson Voice Project. This is a non-profit organization that uses speech and song therapy to help the brain active as well as help patients continue to speak and be heard. His love of singing helped him fit right in, and Don and Parkinson Voice Project became a large part of each other's lives.

Staying faithful to his education degree, Don spent all of his life teaching. He taught those that came in contact with him that there are still honest people in the world that strive everyday to maintain the highest integrity. He taught those around him how important it is to laugh every day, and he taught his children how important it is to have compassion and nurture and care for others. These traits are the reasons that he leaves behind many friends and family that will miss him greatly, but will be able to have great memories as they remember time spent with him.
Even now, in death, his passion for teaching will still serve others. His final wish was for his body to be donated to medical research, and the day of his death, these plans were carried out, so that others may learn, and, he hopes, more will lead even fuller lives with the medical issues he had.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Margaret, his father, Pete,
brother, Lonnie, and a sister, Colleen, as well as other family that he missed as well.

He is survived by his ex-wife, Sue (Parmelee) Huddleston, and their two children,
daughter, Rebecca, her two sons, Keegan and Caleb, and son Clint, and Clint's wife, Tisch.
He will also be missed greatly by remaining family and many friends that were very important to him throughout his life.

This website serves as a memorial site for him, so feel free to share memories, pictures and stories. His wishes were for a memorial service to be held at Turpin Methodist Church in Turpin, OK. April 1,2023, 1-3 pm (come and go event) ……

Although there is a donation link to National Hemophilia Foundation,
Donations to
Parkinson Voice Project https://www.parkinsonvoicepro…
In his honor would be appreciated as well. Parkinson Voice Project is non-profit, survives on donations, and provides services to patients free of charge.