Freddie “Fred” J. Parham

Freddie James Parham, 68, of Cape Coral, FL passed away Sunday, November 20, 2016 after a brief illness with cancer. He was born December 13, 1947 in York, SC to John and Eve Parham.

Fred grew up in the Lenoir area of NC and graduated from Hudson High Scholl in 1967. He joined the US Army in the fall of that year and served 3 years, including a year in Vietnam. Fred used his GI Bill to earn a Bachelor of Music with concentration in Music Theory and Composition in 1979 from the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC. He attended Wake Forest University the following year, serving as the Assistant Director of Bands while earning credits to obtain his teaching certificate. Fred’s first job was as a band director at Jefferson Forest High School, located outside Lynchburg, VA. He then became band director at Horace O’Bryant Middle School in Key West, FL from 1983-1990. Fred next served as band director of Kenedy High School, Kenedy, TX from 1990-1993. Fred then came to Lee County in 1993 and worked until his retirement in 2012. He worked as the band director at Mariner High for the 1993-1994 school year, then taught in the regular classroom and as a middle school strings and guitar teacher at the North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts, and at Diplomat and Gulf Middle Schools. Fred is indebted to his wife, children, grandchildren, the thousands of students he has taught and coached, and his friends for blessing and enriching his life. He is also thankful to his friends for the merriment and great laughter.

He is survived by his wife, Debbie; son, Mitchell of Tampa, daughter Kelly Parker and son-in-law Jonathan Parker of Raleigh, NC; grandchildren, Selah and Solomon; as well as his sister, Peggy Parsons of Granite Falls, NC.

A Memorial Service will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, December 10, 2016 at First Assembly of God, Colonial Chapel 4701 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers, FL 33919.

Memorial Contributions in memory of Fred James Parham are suggested to Barbara’s Friends Golisano Children’s Hospital Cancer Fund Lee Health Foundation, P.O. Box 2218, Fort Myers, FL 33902 or call 239-343-6057.

Friends are invited to send condolences via the on-line guest book which can be found at www.MullinsMemorial.com.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.