Else Parrish

With deep sorrow, I share the news that my mother, Else Parrish, passed away Monday morning. Although she kept fighting back from multiple stokes and seizures, the severity of her most recent attack last week was too much to overcome. She is survived by her 3 sons, 9 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, sister, and loving family. She will be deeply missed by all. Else Schnakenberg was born in 1939 to German immigrants who came to America following WWI. Her father, Heinrich (known to all as Harry), owned a German butcher shop in Maspeth, Queens, and her mother, Rose, was a personal chef for a family in Manhattan. She, along with her sister, Linda, grew up in Queens Village and attended Jamaica High School, where she graduated top of her class. She married my father, Robert Berglund, at the age of 21 and they had two children, James Berglund and myself. Following a divorce, she remarried and had another son, Edward Parrish. We grew up together in Bayside, NY, where she remained the rest of her life. She worked first as a bank teller and then became the Branch Manager for Citibank in Whitestone, N.Y. where she won many prestigious awards for customer service. She was a people person and all who knew her were blessed by her. I remember how she would often take home some of her customers bank statements and checkbook registers and sit at the table for hours balancing their records for them because they were unable to. She gave of herself to all in need. My mother was known for many wonderful things, but, as you can imagine, with a father who was a butcher, and a mother who was a chef, she was famously known for her incredible cooking. Friends and family couldn't wait for the holiday meals which were always amazing. And then there were the famous cookies... especially at Christmas time. She would bake containers of cookies and pass them out to all. On Christmas eve, after church, my brother's and I couldn't wait to get home. We'd sit down with a half-gallon of milk, open all the cookie containers, and eat till we were bloated. What a memory! For those of you who had the pleasure of knowing my mom, you know she was a woman of strength and character. She exuded unconditional, self-sacrificing love - always putting the needs of everyone else above herself, no matter what. And, because of that, everyone loved her. She retired from Citibank and came to work at my office, commuting 3 days a week from NY to CT, for 19 years. There she did what she did best... love and serve others. We had a special mother-son bond as we were alike in so many ways and spent so much time together. Many of my patient's called her mom, as did many of my friends. She was a great listener, and you knew that when you came to her for advice you were going to get a loving, honest answer that was well thought out, full of wisdom, and absent of judgement. She was not just my mother, but my encourager, counselor, advisor, and confidant. She had the answers when I didn't... and I always knew I could trust that answer with my life. I am who I am today in large part because of her. Each of her grandchildren had a special, unique, loving relationship with her. She knew each of their personalities precisely and knew exactly how to love each one accordingly. What a joy it was to watch their love for each other grow with each passing year and to see the amazing bond each one had with her. When I remarried 8 years ago, my wife's son, Sam, became her 9th grandchild and she loved him as her own. Grandmas are always special and they were all blessed with the best! Mom loved God and God loved her. She built her life on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and put her faith and trust in Him for all. No matter how hard the rain, wind, or water beat against her house, she was unwavering and never fell. Later in life, she fought battle after battle, with health issues a mile long, yet during each episode she would continue to praise God for his goodness and blessings. Repeatedly, she would lay sick in a hospital or rehab facility bed, hardly able to move, and tell the staff how much she loved them. They soaked it up, and, in return, loved her back. It was a lesson for us all on what true faith looks like in the face of adversity. I need to give a special shout out to my wife, Madeleine. Talk about love. Their relationship was that of a mother and daughter who loved each other tremendously. She welcomed my mom into our house following a stroke a year and a half ago which left her hardly able to walk and with great difficulty communicating. And those problems got worse after each subsequent episode. Watching Madeleine help feed my mom and take care of her needs was another lesson in love. I can't imagine how I could have cared for my mother without her. My family and I will always be grateful for all you did to make mom's life easier and more enjoyable as you surrounded her with love. I love you! As much as I loved my mother and can't imagine my life without her, I am comforted by, and will rest in, biblical Truth for believers which states that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." Today my mom is with the Lord in paradise. Visitation will be on Friday, November 17th at Bosak Funeral Home. 453 Shippan Ave, Stamford, CT from 10am - 12pm with a funeral service to follow at 12pm. She will then be laid to rest at Flushing Cemetery, 163-6 46th Ave, Flushing, NY, in the gravesite of her mother and father. If you wish to make a remembrance for the family online, please sign the family guestbook at www.bosakfuneralhome.com or www.facebook.com/bosakfuneralhome

Else Parrish

January 20, 1939 - November 13, 2023