Ervin O. Parris Sr, age 81, passed away peacefully at home on May 23, 2020 due to a long fight with prostate cancer. He was born in Cambridge, MA on October 6, 1938 to the late Noel F. Parris and Edith L. (Clarke) Parris. He was the last child of six born to this union. He was educated in the Cambridge and Boston Public School Systems and graduated from Boston Technical High School in 1957. He studied at Lincoln College and graduated with an Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1965. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Engineering Technology in 1968 at Northeastern University. While at Northeastern University he pledged Alpha Pi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
If an award could be given, he would be Mr. Congeniality. He managed to find good in all people, remain calm in stressful situations, and make everyone he met feel like they have known him forever.
He cared about children. He volunteered as a mentor to young boys through Big Brother Big Sister of America and the Promising Pals Program.
He was very proud of his yard and he enjoyed gardening. On the weekend you could find him busy manicuring his lawn, blowing leaves down the street or maintaining the flowerbeds. He played a crucial role in his son’s landscaping business “U Relax Landscape”.
Ervin loved Jazz music. When he was in school, he used to play a sterling silver clarinet. If he could have created a jazz band, he would have had Art Blakey on drums, Miles Davis on trumpet, Cannonball Adderley on saxophone, Thelonious Monk on piano and Dr. Billy Taylor on standby.
Ervin married to Majetta Jane (Hill) Parris on September 8, 1963 and from this union raised three children, Ervin O. Jr., Peter A.(deceased) and Nancy E. Parris.
Ervin worked at Honeywell in Waltham and then Digital Equipment Corporation in Tewksbury and Maynard as a Mechanical Engineer.
Ervin was predeceased by his parents, Noel F. and Edith L. Parris, son, Peter A., Sisters, Gwendolyn L. Ward (Rev. Aiden C. Ward), Erline L. Green, Brothers, Noel F. Parris (Cynthia), York Russell Parris, Brother-in-law, Darnley V. Brown.
Ervin O. Parris leaves to cherish his memory his devoted wife, Majetta Jane Parris, son, Ervin O. Parris, Jr. of Lowell, daughter, Nancy E. Parris of Washington DC. and grandson, Quentin Parris. Sister, Elaine (Parris) Brown. Sisters-in-law, Francia Parris, Alice Lane (Marvin), Henrietta Geathers (Ronald), Brother-in-law, Joseph Green. Ervin leaves a host of nieces and nephews, and extended family.
Special thanks to the VNA Hospice, the Ward Family, Brown Family and Hull Bay Productions.
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