In Memory of

Atwood

Thomas

Parnell

III

Obituary for Atwood Thomas Parnell III

Atwood (Bill) Thomas Parnell, 87, passed away on 11/22/2018 in the memory care unit of the Virginia Veterans Care Center in Roanoke Virginia.

Bill was the product of a broken home as such he was required to get a job at the age of 12 while attending school. The only job that would allow him to go to school was a paper route. Many times he mentioned delivering the Tupelo Daily Journal when the atomic bombs devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

He was eternally grateful to his grandparents Rich and Mary Dalee and his mother, Cora Dalee Parnell.
Bill graduated in 1949 from Tupelo High School. During the Korean War Bill was assigned to the Cadre of the 140th Tank battalion of the 40th Infantry division. At 19 he was recognized as the youngest tank commander in the battalion of 72 tanks. His division was sent to Korea in 1950 and fought in the Kumwha Valley.

Bill was energetic, optimistic, mechanically inclined, loquacious and quick to find the humor in life. He loved airplanes and fast cars and attended many air and car shows. He had strong opinions about inequality and wrote many letters on this subject to Newspapers under his pen name, A. Thomas.

Bill is survived by his wife of 16 years, Gerry Dickerson Parnell and his brother and sister in-law Richard and Tempes Parnell. He is also survived by his children from previous marriages, Joy Neufeld, Paul Parnell, Rob Parnell and Kristie Parnell.

In keeping with his wishes, services will be private. An online guestbook is available for family and friends by visiting www.johnmoakey.com.