Norman Ray Parrish, 91, of Bardstown, died Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at his home. He was born April 20, 1934, the son of the late Ray A. and Mary Evelyn Parrish.
He went to Bethlehem Grade School and graduated from St. Joseph Prep School in 1952. After 2-1/2 years at the University of Kentucky, he volunteered for the Army for a three-year term starting in December 1955. After basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, he went to the Signal School at Fort Mammoth in New Jersey in March 1956. After completing the Ordinance Electronics Course on June 8, 1956, he was sent to Ordinance Guided Missile School at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. The first school was two weeks and was in Guided Missile Internal Guidance Systems Repairs for the Corporal guided missile, a ground-to-ground missile. He completed this 10- week course in September 1956. The second school at Huntsville was a 10-week course in Guided Missile Doppler Radar Systems Repair for the Corporal missile. He graduated at the top of his class of 30 enlisted men and officers. In late March 1957 he went to work in the Missile Maintenance shop and completed his tour being discharged on December 10, 1958, with a rank of Specialist 5.
He returned to Bardstown and started working with his father, who had just purchased a concrete block plant in Bardstown. His father was also a general contractor. Sometime in 1964, he took a home course in building, estimating, and contracting and graduated in January 1965 from American Technical Society, in Chicago, Ill. Graduation from this course set the stage for 25 years of working in the building trades — both as supplier and a general contractor. The company that was created was Ray Parrish and Sons.
His brother, Don, ran the concrete block company and Norman and his father worked in general construction. In 1985, he left the company and went out on his own and formed NRP Construction and owned his own company for 10 years, until he retired in 1995.
His hobbies were fishing and restoring antique hit-and-miss gas engines. The fishing started with his father in grade school and never stopped. The gas engine hobby started in 1982 and never stopped. The oldest engine restoration he completed was a 1897 engine built by two German brothers on Manhattan Island in New York City. The engine was a two-stroke diesel engine and ran like it was new. After working over 30 years in this hobby, he probably restored more than 150 engines, water pumps, air compressors and other engine-associated items. All of his close friends are tied to this unique hobby.
His is survived by his wife of 59 years, Anna Lee Parrish;one brother, Donald Parrish; three nieces, Vicki White Hobbs, Katy Parrish, and Carolyn (Joe) O’Toole; and one nephew, Glen (Jackie) White.
The Funeral Mass is 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral with burial in Bardstown Cemetery.
Visitation is 5-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, and 9-10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at Barlow Funeral Home with a 5 p.m. Monday prayer service.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may go to Hospice of Nelson County or St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Barlow Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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