Judith "Judi" Parsons

 Judith Norwood Parsons passed away on August 21, 2024, from heart failure. Judi was born September 27, 1951, to Bill Norwood and Mary Lou Draper and sister Pam in Emmett, Idaho where she spent her first seven years growing and playing with her Norwood and Draper cousins. Great adventures were had at Uncle Bob’s dairy farm and playing kick the can at Uncle Howards with cousins. She was the youngest of 20 Draper cousins, and with 13 Norwood cousins, plus aunts and uncles. Judi had lots of family to surround her. 
 

A move to Boise, Idaho in 1958, as her father began a career with Albertsons Drug and Skaggs, began a journey of travel for Judi. In 1959 the family moved to Billings, Montana. It was in Billings that she made lifelong friends and grew to love the mountains and the Native American culture. With Yellowstone Park right next door, the family would spend many weekends in the park fishing, exploring the rivers and running from the wildlife. Specifically, a mama moose and her calf. Judi made so many happy memories in Billings, and never lost her love for the city and the neighborhood friends who mean so much to her. A move to Great Falls, Montana in the 1964 was short and sweet before the family moved to Ralston, Nebraska in 1967 where Judi graduated from high school in 1970. She was active in pep club and became very involved in programs for those with intellectual disabilities. She was able to work with leaders in the field, including traveling to Florida and even Denmark to work and learn at various innovative schools for children with various disabilities.
 

Judi chose to go to Brigham Young University after high school to continue her desire to learn and to help those with intellectual disabilities. She worked to develop her own studies with an emphasis in this area and eventually focusing on Recreational Therapy. She volunteered and helped with ROTC and held various church callings during this time. In 1973 she chose to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was called to serve in Italy. She fell in love with Italy and being a missionary. She loved the people, the culture and most of all the gelato!
 

By the end of her mission, her parents had moved back to Emmett, Idaho where she joined them to await returning to BYU. It was during this time that she noticed a newly returned missionary at a church activity and thus began a whirlwind romance that would last 45 wonderful years. Judi and Greg Parsons were married January 06, 1979, in the Idaho Falls Temple. The couple returned to college for a time before deciding to move back to Boise, Idaho where Judi began a career at the State of Idaho School as a recreational therapist until the birth of their first son William Norwood Parsons in 1980. Their second son John Leslie Parsons arrived 2 year later making their family complete. She continued to work in the area of social work for several years for the State of Idaho before deciding to stay home with her boys. During this time, she was active in the church and also worked as a volunteer for the Red Cross helping people whose homes were damaged by fires and other natural disasters. She did this with care and devotion to the people affected by these tragedies.
 

Judi was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, aunt, and sister. She was always willing to help and kept tabs on her many family members. Time spent helping her mom and dad on their small ranch was lots of fun for her and the whole family. This included feeding bum lambs, bailing hay, or getting an angus bull out of her parents prized garden. She became a devoted caregiver to her parents in their declining years.
 

Judi was preceded in death by her parents, William Martin Norwood and Mary Lou Draper Norwood and her mother and father in-laws, Ardith and Adrian Parsons. 
She is survived by her husband, Greg; her son, Bill and his son Connor; her son, John and his wife, Aubrey and their children, Keaton, Kailey, Lauryn, Londyn, Reefe and Lilah of Pickerington, Ohio, and her sister, Pam Connolly of Billings, Montana as well as many nieces and nephews. 
 

Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, August 30, 2024 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 1001 E 2nd St, Emmett, ID. 
 In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the Idaho Red Cross or charity of your choosing in her name.

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