Walter Raymond (Ray) Parry joined his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho following a lengthy illness… just a few days shy of his 75th birthday. He was born March 11, 1942 in Gooding, Idaho to Lawrence Ernest Parry and Lois Laverne Larson Parry.

At the age of three his mother died in a car accident. He was the youngest of three children. When he was seven, his father married Opal Irene Johnson. Shortly after, they moved to West Yellowstone, Montana where is father logged. He spent the rest of his early childhood years attending Yellowstone grade school, spending time with his sister in Oakridge, Oregon, and attending Boy Scouts in the Wort Hotel.

At the age of twelve his family moved from Montana to St. Anthony, Idaho. He graduated in 1960 from South Fremont High School. In the spring of 1960 he started dating the love of his life, Karlotta Kay Amos. While in high school he was employed by Duke Turner and Morris Parkinson Farms. After graduating from high school, he registered late for the draft, so he and some friends decided to join the National Guard under the buddy system. They soon discovered upon getting to boot camp that there wasn't such a system. Luckily, they were able to stay together. He always said that the winter he spent in California was the coldest of his entire life.

After he returned home, he began to log in Big Piney, Wyoming with his father. He would return home to see Karlotta on the weekends. She moved to Delta, Colorado shortly after her graduation the following year. Because of the Cuban Missile Crisis, he had to stay in St. Anthony with the Idaho National Guard. So, Ray went to Delta, married Karlotta, and returned to Idaho. He then went to work for Earle Terry at the American Service Station, and upon Terry's retirement, Duke Turner and he purchased the business.

The couple had four daughters, Michelle Rae (Rick) Ward of Boise, Idaho; Natalie Ann (Marvin) Carollo of Madison, Mississippi; Kristine Marie Parry of Boise, Idaho; and Debra Kay Parry (Jake Owens) of Gainesville, Texas. He dedicated his fatherhood to teaching his girls to hunt, fish, snow machine, ski, and camp. Some of his daughters' fondest memories were going on rides and camping in the woods with no roads.

Ray was an avid sportsman. On one of his hunting trips, he and his friend Merlin Smith didn't make it home. They shot their elk, but they couldn't get out before dark. They ended up spending the night sleeping between two fires. The wives called Nolan VanderLinden, and he in turn contacted the four-man search and rescue. They claimed they were never lost; they just needed help getting out. Both joined the Fremont County Search and Rescue, where Ray was commander for several years.

While working for Jim Hunter at Hunter's Drug, he was inducted into the South Fremont Fire Department. He served there for 29 years, the last 8 years as fire chief. During that time, he was also an EMT, and ran on the ambulance, and was employed by the United States Post Office.
Later in life, he worked for Kent and Jerry Remington at R&H Trucking and Remington Farms. One time, Ray was hauling logs through Ashton, Idaho, and the logs hooked a power line and took out power from St. Anthony through Island Park. The article in the paper stated that he did "copious amounts of damage" including ruining soap operas for many ladies in their homes for several days.

Ray also worked for the Idaho Stud Mill until it's closing, and finally ended up back working for long time friend Jim Hunter in his drug stores in Ashton, St. Anthony, and Driggs until his retirement at age 70. He was known for being a very hard worker, who rarely took time off. He enjoyed being busy.

Ray is survived by his wife, Karlotta Kay Amos Parry of St. Anthony, his daughters, his nine grandchildren, Lindsey, Kristee, Blake, Samantha, Hailee, Abby, Amber, Justice, and Millie, and two great grandchildren, Sam, and Kayden. His brother Kenneth (Charlotte) Parry of St. Anthony, Idaho, a sister, Laverne (Don) Colter of Oakridge, Oregon, his mother-in-law Bernadine (Marion) Amos of Grand Junction, Colorado, two brothers-in-law Marion Edward Amos and Michael James (Marlene) Amos of Grand Junction, Colorado, and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his stepmother, his father-in-law, and his son-in-law Rick Ward.

Through his many dedicated hours of service to the community, Ray has touched many lives over the years. He is known for how kind he was to everyone he met, and his love for conversation and story telling. He was a friend to everyone, and loved to sit on his back deck and listen to the rushing water of the Snake River.

Graveside services will be conducted later in the summer. In lieu of flowers, friends may make donations to the South Fremont Fire Department and the Fremont County Search and Rescue.