Jerry Wayne Parsley

Mr. Jerry Wayne Parsley, 83, of Woodbury, Tennessee went on to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 21, 2026. God knew exactly what He was doing when Jerry was born at home on August 4, 1942. For the next 83 years, 10 months, and 17 days, Jerry’s life would be centered around the Short Mountain community that he called home.

There was only a brief lapse in judgement when his mother and step-father, Gracie and Frank, thought they would take Jerry along with them to Michigan. Little did they know, even from the young age of 7, Jerry already had strong convictions about his identity. He must have put up quite the protest because Gracie and Frank ended up conceding defeat and taking Jerry to the bus stop with a ticket in hand and a tag, noting for him to be returned to his grandparents, George and Martha Jane Parsley.

That was a pivotal moment in Jerry’s life and began a trend that you’ll find throughout the generations after him. You see, from a ripe age, Jerry was a man of legacy. He left an impact that rippled throughout his life. “I’m going back to the mountain” was a sentiment that carried over into his children, but that wasn’t all Jerry instilled (and his negotiating abilities only seemed to improve as he got older).

Returning to Short Mountain, Jerry got enrolled in school and apparently became quite the heart throb. During his time at Woodbury Central High School, a young Julie Womack overheard two girls bickering and fawning over Jerry Parsley as he walked by. Her thoughts? “Why would they be fighting over him?” But Jerry was someone who stuck in your mind and wore down even the hardest of hearts.

Unfortunately, it was his own heart condition that prevented him from finishing school, but there are just some things you don’t learn from a book. Self-motivated and mechanically inclined, it was no sweat off Jerry’s back, and he went to work. And who other than Julie Womack would he run into at the Shirt Factory? Though Julie put up a good fight, Jerry’s negotiation skills had been fine-tuned and his persistence was unmatched. Finally agreeing to a date, Jerry made sure to seal the deal quickly, and they were married on August 16, 1963, after just 3 months of dating.

Julie kept Jerry in line, and Jerry kept Julie on her toes. They were a match made from pure stubbornness and determination, which, if you were curious, also passed down through the generations. The strength and harmony they wielded was derived from their faith and carried them through all the trials life would throw their way. They didn’t have much to start, and things were far from easy. But they had God and love, so there was no shot at losing.

Expanding their family was the next logical step, and Jerry intended to afford Julie the opportunity to stay home with their babies. He worked night shift at International Paper doing Industrial Maintenance to provide for his family, but Jerry didn’t stop at just provision. He was a good daddy, a present father, and a role model. His children weren’t just going to be kept alive. They were going to thrive.

Making sure there was never a dull moment, Jerry used his humor and happiness to infect his household with warmth and laughter. He also made the point to have a memorable family vacation each spring. The kids would get picked up from school in the camper and off they would go! The camper had a board with an 8-track, so they could play their own music. Their trek to Myrtle Beach one year definitely placed high on the list of memorable trips after Jerry zoomed, slid, skidded, screeched, and jolted them to a stop at the camp site to rush to the restroom.

Never one to take himself too seriously, Jerry easily let the teasing roll off his shoulders and picked back with the best of them. That playfulness and self-ease allowed Jerry to never meet a stranger. Julie found it common to hear the response, “I don’t know,” when she asked who he was talking to after hearing him talk to them like an old friend. Jerry earned the belief that he could talk to a fence post, but rumor has it he could also slip in his negotiating skills to convince the fence post to talk back.

Remember that 7-year-old boy? Or maybe the young man that convinced the unwilling woman to date and marry him? Well, he grew up and didn’t lose an ounce of his silver tongue. Jerry did not pay full price, and he made sure to take his kids along to show them the ropes. One brief and successful negotiation started with Jerry’s offer being “just about an insult.” Jerry quickly replied, “Well, that was just about where I intended to start.” He was someone who could read people, who knew how to talk, and who knew where his line was drawn.

Utilizing his conversation skills not only benefitted his family on getting a good deal but also on getting learning opportunities. Jerry found some project to work on just shy of all the time. Countless shade tree mechanic jobs happened right in the front yard. You’d be surprised how much fixing can be done between a tractor and a tree unless you had the privilege to watch Jerry pull a vehicle back straight. Then, when it was cold outside, he would lay out cardboard on the kitchen floor to rebuild engines. Going to races with Uncle JM and Brother Robert Chambers got his blood pumping. He went to Daytona every February and even went out to races at Bristol and a few other tracks.

His passion for cars didn’t stop there though. Jerry went on to own three classic Mustangs that he personally rebuilt. As if the process wasn’t a treat enough for him, Jerry also got to enjoy watching his children and grandchildren driving his Mustangs in a line through the strip. He involved them whenever and however he could in his projects and in his hobbies, making connections with his family every step of the way.

That desire for inclusion and connection didn’t stop at family though. When Julie started babysitting community member’s children, he stood beside her to support in only the way Jerry could. Though Jerry didn’t have a relationship with his own father, he said he couldn’t have asked for a better dad than Frank. Frank stepped up and stepped in when he didn’t have to, and Jerry fondly remembered getting carried on trips to the store where he could get whatever he wanted. It was something simple that made him feel special. So, he treated all the kids that came through his door like they were his own, and with Julie’s nurturing and Jerry’s warmth, their home became each child’s home away from home.

This went double when it came to grandchildren and great grandchildren. The great granddaughters often would run and jump in his lap. They only had to compete with Jerry’s baby, L.J., the Yorkie. But they knew Jerry loved them, and Jerry was well loved by them. Jerry knew exactly how to pick at each of the kids to get the chuckle or giggle he was looking for.

When retirement rolled around, Jerry found himself immersed in the pleasure of yard work, and almost every yard task could be handled with his favorite tool, the mower. Yet, some of those tasks Julie probably would have preferred a different tool. Jerry was notorious for mowing over everything, especially her monkey grass, but it’s funny how things change in our minds as life goes on.

Though his grandsons used to pick at him for customizing his tools to accomplish his vision, they now find their parents and themselves opting for similar resourcefulness. Though working on cars and fixing things rather than buying new was a necessity at one time, they now find themselves gravitating toward that frugality. Though wheeling and dealing was just a tool to achieve objectives, they now find it to be the best way to start a worthy project and make a connection. Though joking and happiness were fond memories from childhood, they now see the warmth and light shed over every memory. Though working maintenance was just a way to provide, there are now two more generations following in his footsteps.

That’s legacy, but the greatest legacy of all for Jerry wasn’t getting to watch each generation follow in his footsteps but in Jesus’ footsteps. You see, Jerry was someone that if there was a will, there was a way, and he strived every day to align his will with God’s will. As a longtime member of Wood Church of Christ, he often liked to lead the hymn “A Beautiful Life,” but more than that, he led a life that reflected each stanza.

Preceding him in death were his grandparents, George & Martha Jane Parsley; mother, Gracie Parsley Jones; step-dad, Frank Homer Jones; step-brother, Laymon (Pat) Jones; father- and mother-in-law; Wiley and Dorothy Womack; brother- and sisters-in-law, Mildred Ferrell, John Womack, and Dorothy Jean Sellars.

He is survived by his wife of almost 63 years, Julie Eva Womack Parsley; children, Melinda (Darrell) Snyder, Andy (Michelle) Parsley, and Greta (Butch) Stone; grandchildren, Olivia (Matt) Burns, Eden (Nick) Borren, Lucas Snyder, Colton (Hannah) Parsley, Tanner (Colleen) Parsley, Walker Parsley, Lilian Parsley, Tyler Stone, Sean Stone, Will Stone, and Jacob Stone; special grandson, Hung Pham; great grandchildren, Fallyn Burns, Hudson Burns, Rowan Borren, Wrenley Borren, Waylon Borren, Evelyn Parsley, and Emmy Stone; sister- and brothers-in-law, Margaret (Thomas) Melton, Ricky Womack, and Billy Womack.

Visitation will be held at Gentry-Smith Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 24, 2026 from 2-6 pm. Funeral services will be Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 2 pm in the Gentry-Smith Funeral Home chapel. Al Bugg, Jr. will officiate. Interment will be at Stone Farm across from Riverside Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Cannon Christian Academy or Short Mountain Bible Camp.

Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337 Because every life has a story