Robert Lee Parham, 65, a former resident of Granville County and a resident of Newport, NC passed away Saturday, April 13th 2013 at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, NC.
A native of Granville County, the son of the late Elbert Watkins Parham and Kernie Parham Parham. He was of the Baptist faith and a mechanical engineer for the Department of Defense at Cherry Point Marine Air Station.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 AM Wednesday, April 17, 2013 in the Eakes Funeral Chapel in Oxford by Rev. Johnnie Richards. Burial will be in Mt. Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Oxford.
Surviving are a twin brother, Richard W. Parham and wife Tricia of Beach City, Tx., and a uncle Randolph Parham and wife Rachel.
Flowers accepted or memorials may be made to Mt. Creek Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Michael Currin ,4072 Squire Lane, Oxford, NC 27565
Visitation 9:30-10:45 AM Wednesday, April 17th 2013 prior to the funeral services at the Eakes Funeral Home in Oxford.
Eakes Funeral Home in Oxford is assisting the Parham Family.
Robert and I spent alot of time together talking about Air planes and cars. When Roberts mother passed he asked me if I would go with him to pick his car up and bring it back down here to Newport. I didn't know what to expect when we got to his moms house. There was his 71 RS-Z28 camaro sitting in an open garage. He then told me the story about how he got the camaro, His brother bought a camaro back when they were in school and Robert had to have one just like his, so he ordered one just like it. He took me all over Oxford and told me stories about when he and his brother ran the roads up there. When we got back to Newport I took the car to my house and over the next 2 days I got it running. From what he told me the car had been sitting in the same spot for 15+ years. He came by the house the next day to see if I got it running yet and I had told him yes, but it was making a ticking noise so I turned it off. He laughed at me saying that it should sound that way because of the solid lifters in the engine. I still remember my wife telling him how she fell in love with that car and all he could say is one day that car will be yours Heidi. My wife was so shocked to here that come out of his mouth. Robert seemed to always have a story about an air plane or about his trip across the country with his brother. He told me many things he and his brother had done on that trip in a 1973 Chevy truck with a camper in the bed and a toyota land cruser hitched to the bumper. I don't remember how many months he said they were gone, but they made it all the way to Alaska and back. That must have been so much fun! One other thing about Robert is that he could find food better then anyone I know. At work he would always seem to know who had food cooking or what office had food out on the table. We always joked about how if you put a bag of popcorn in the microwave that Robert would show up before it was done cooking. Robert loved his food and on any given night you could find him at the Broad Creek Restaurant talking with friends and he had lots of friends.
YOU WERE ALWAYS LOVED! and YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MISSED.
CRIS + HEIDI SONNICHSEN
