Long time Orinda resident, Anne J. Parr, passed away peacefully on March 20, 2024, after a brief illness. Born in 1934 in Indianapolis to the late Paul and Dorothy Jane Jarvis, Anne briefly resided in Chicago before her family relocated to Oakland, then Sacramento.
Anne and her late husband, John S. Parr, were married for fifty-two years before John passed away in 2008. College sweethearts at UC Berkeley, Anne and John married shortly after graduation then traveled extensively and moved frequently in support of John's career as an Air Force pilot. At the conclusion of John's military service, the couple settled in Orinda where they raised their six daughters and many cherished family pets.
Anne was a widely known, beloved children's art and ceramics instructor for fifty years at the Orinda Community Center. She was proud to have taught hundreds of children including three generations of several Orinda families. Anne declared that her love for art was rooted in the fact that art is one of the only endeavors which fosters creativity and imagination. She regularly encouraged her students by sharing, "In art, there is no wrong answer." The Orinda City Council and the Community Center recently honored Anne by naming the clay and kiln room after her.
Anne served several organizations throughout her life, notably the Military Wives Club and Air Force Childcare programs, Fair Housing Program, Children's Home Society, Inter-Tribal House, and Orinda Art Council.
In addition to her family, Anne was deeply grateful for her many Sleepy Hollow and gym friends, her book club, and her coffee klatch which enveloped her and provided special care after John's unexpected passing.
Anne is survived by by her siblings, Bob Jarvis and Nancy Fast; her adoring daughters, all of whom deeply loved and revered her: Shannon Parr (Steve Zakula), Kerry Donovan (Greg), Colleen Winans (John), Megan Warren (Scott Ingraham), Katie Parr (Joe Terry), and Molly Guthrie (Kevin); grandchildren Nick Zakula (Karli), Katie Zakula (Dane Lindstrom), Eva Zakula, JP and Kevin Donovan, Molly and Haley Winans, Riley Warren, Alexa and Kayla Terry, and Chloe, Ellie, Quinn, and Grace Guthrie; and her great-granddaughter, Romy Lindstrom.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 1, at 11 am, at the Orinda Community Church. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to the Sleepy Hollow Homeowners Association, The Orinda Library/Orinda Community Center, Joybound Pets and People Alliance (formerly ARF), or SFPark Alliance.org (please note: Friends of Visitacion Valley Agriculture). |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA