David Joe Parrish died peacefully at home Monday morning, July 19, 2021, in Blacksburg, from the
aggressive prostate cancer he fought bravely for 11 years.
From the beginning of that fight, he was grateful for having lived a full life of family, friends, teaching,
racquetball, fishing, gardening, and golf. He was 77.
David was born Dec. 23, 1943, in Knoxville, Tenn., the son of Leon and Evelyn (Moore) Parrish, the
middle child of three brothers (Thomas and Donald). He was raised in Johnson City, Tenn., where he
attended East Tennessee State University. At ETSU he was cadet commander of the Army ROTC.
It was also at ETSU that he met his future wife of 52 years, Janette Gass, in the university choir. After
graduating Magna Cum Laude from ETSU, he received a National Science Foundation grant for graduate
work at Wake Forest University. He then went on active duty with the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany
for two years, where he rose to the rank of captain. Upon returning to the states, he completed his PhD in
plant physiology at Cornell University.
After a year and a half of post-doctoral work at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, he took a
professorship at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in what was then the Department of Agronomy. David was
instrumental in the evolution of that department into the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental
Sciences and was one of the original authors and drivers of the Environmental Science BS degree
program. He was also the Undergraduate Program Director for many years.
He was a respected academic advisor to both graduate and particularly undergraduate students. David was
a great writer and believed in the importance of writing, which he shared with his students. In addition to
the miles of red ink bestowed on his students’ papers, he coauthored the textbook Plant Science, and in
his final years he wrote The Gyroscope of Life, a personal reflection on important themes from his
lifelong study of biology and life sciences.
David was an avid racquetball player, substituting racquetball for his lunch hour for all of his time at
Virginia Tech. He also became a regular fisherman, getting out on the New River as soon as the weather
would allow, racking up over 170 days on the river one year.
In his later years he took up golf, meeting up with a cherished regular Tuesday group most weeks. He also
maintained an abundant vegetable and fruit garden despite marauding deer and other woodland creatures.
David is survived by his wife, Janette; sons Joe (Angela) and Nathan (Honorine); his younger borther,
Donald; and grandchildren Carter, Tyler, and Evelyn.
He was preceded in death by his elder brother, Thomas. A memorial service will be scheduled for a later
date.
