Parrish Beach
Parrish Beach
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Age: 15
Location:
Springfield Parkway near the Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill , SC
United States
Parrish was struck by an SUV on October 27 and passed away on November 4. On the one year anniversary of the collision, his family installed a ghost bike. They plan to put it up on the crash date each year and remove it on the date of Parrish's death.
Parrish famously said, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day of work."
Parrish's memorial page can be viewed here. Memories of him are here and a tribute is here.
Part of his obituary states:
Born in 1992, Parrish was the son of Robert Parrish Beach, Sr. and Janet Renfroe Beach. He attended Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill. He was a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Bass Fishing Team. He attended Fort Mill High School, always considered himself a Yellow Jacket even after he became a Falcon. He loved Jesus, fishing, basketball, golf, football, with baseball being his favorite, if he wasn't playing sports he was watching ESPN or sports. His greatest happiness was time with family and friends, especially playing sports. He worked and played for Victory Christian Baseball Training Center and was looking forward to playing baseball for Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill. Everything he touched turned to gold.
From an article:
Nation Ford High School opened just three months ago, but now the Fort Mill students are remembering the life of a classmate, 15-year-old Parrish Beach who died Sunday.
"Since he loved to go fishing, we put a fishing pole up (at the school)," said Logan Bailey, one of the teen’s best friends.
Beach was on his way to go fishing when he was hit by a sport utility vehicle a week and a half ago. Police said he was riding his bike when he turned into the path of the driver on Springfield Parkway.
Eyewitness News was there Wednesday as Beach's five pallbearers visited his memorial on school grounds.
Ben Flannigan said he feels the same way as his somber classmates do about the loss.
“It's just tremendously hard on me. I don't know what to do really," he said.
Nor does childhood friend Brian Mullis. He was supposed to go fishing with Beach when plans changed.
Now reality is setting in for the teens, who know burying their friend on Thursday will be one of the toughest duties of their young lives.
“Parrish didn't deserve that. I mean, you wouldn't expect him to get hit by a car," said Steven Simpson.
"It seems to me like everybody is in shock; it shouldn't have happened," said Robert Munday.
Ben Flannigan added, "He was just one of the loyalist friends I've ever had. I'm going to miss him a lot."
A candlelight vigil is planned for next Wednesday. Also, the school will plant a tree and put up a plaque. The ceremony is open to the public.
From another article:
Nation Ford High's Bass Fishing Team was saving money to buy Parrish Beach II, 15, a new fishing pole.
On Oct. 27, Parrish's bicycle boasted a pole-holder containing his prized fishing rod while en route to his favorite fishing hole. He made a left turn off Springfield Parkway toward the Anne Springs Close Greenway when an SUV tried to pass him from behind.
Parrish spent eight days at Carolinas Medical Center. His best friend, Logan Bailey, took him a balloon that read, "It's a Girl!" His fishing buddy Jason Sandy had planned to visit him Tuesday.
Parrish never regained consciousness and died Sunday night. No charges are expected to be filed, according to Fort Mill police.
Nation Ford teenagers learned about it Monday. In a day of tears, about a dozen of his friends, most sophomores like Parrish, spent Monday in the school's counseling office.
Parrish loved sports, so the teenagers painted a boulder by the school track. It said: "Gone Fishing. Forever in our hearts, Parrish." They erected two crosses in front of it and strewed flowers on the ground. They leaned a fishing pole against one of the crosses.
"I went right to the pond after school when I heard about it," Jason said. "I needed some time to think."
The school district plans to transport two busloads of teenagers to the funeral Thursday, Parrish's family said Tuesday.
"He was very loved by his family and friends," said Michelina Paneti, his cousin who was appointed spokesperson by a family too devastated to put feelings into words. "He had a heart of gold and always worried about what other people thought and felt. He never wanted anybody to be angry."
Parrish's lifelong buddies agreed with that. Whenever they groused about a class, Parrish had a supportive word about the teacher.
Parrish had placed a quote on his MySpace page: "A bad day fishing is better than a good day of work." He was heading to the fishing pond to practice for a Bass Fishing Team tourney that Saturday.
He could always catch fish when none would bite for anybody else, according to his friends. They attributed that to his patience.
But his first love was baseball. He and Nation Ford quarterback Mitchell Starnes played Little League together all through school until about the sixth grade. Parrish, at six feet and more than 200 pounds, became a catcher and a first-baseman who could hit.
Aside from fishing and baseball, Mitchell said he loved "cracking jokes. I think it was because he liked making people smile."
"He was never in a bad mood," added buddy Ben Boykin. "You never saw him moping around."
Parrish intended to try out for basketball and football in the coming year, but his life goal was to become a professional baseball player, according to his father, Parrish Beach Sr.
"We always said we were going to go to the University of North Carolina together," Logan said. "Me and him were best friends since the first grade."
If Parrish did succeed as a professional baseball player, he planned to use proceeds to help others, according to his mother, Janet.
When he was struck Oct. 27, he was wearing UNC shorts, his favorite. Friends said that if Parrish had been conscious, he would have tried to prevent medics from cutting them off him.
Reality set in Tuesday.
"I'd always see him walking to fourth block," Mitchell said. "I won't do that anymore."
"I won't be able to just pick up the phone and call him," Logan said.
"It was real when I knew he was never going to come back and lift weights with me," Ben said.
"From my science class, I could look out and see where he and Logan were eating lunch," said Jason. "When I looked out today, there was nobody there."
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Age: 15
Location:
Springfield Parkway near the Anne Springs Close Greenway
Fort Mill , SC
United States
Parrish was struck by an SUV on October 27 and passed away on November 4. On the one year anniversary of the collision, his family installed a ghost bike. They plan to put it up on the crash date each year and remove it on the date of Parrish's death.
Parrish famously said, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day of work."
Parrish's memorial page can be viewed here. Memories of him are here and a tribute is here.
Part of his obituary states:
Born in 1992, Parrish was the son of Robert Parrish Beach, Sr. and Janet Renfroe Beach. He attended Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill. He was a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Bass Fishing Team. He attended Fort Mill High School, always considered himself a Yellow Jacket even after he became a Falcon. He loved Jesus, fishing, basketball, golf, football, with baseball being his favorite, if he wasn't playing sports he was watching ESPN or sports. His greatest happiness was time with family and friends, especially playing sports. He worked and played for Victory Christian Baseball Training Center and was looking forward to playing baseball for Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill. Everything he touched turned to gold.
From an article:
Nation Ford High School opened just three months ago, but now the Fort Mill students are remembering the life of a classmate, 15-year-old Parrish Beach who died Sunday.
"Since he loved to go fishing, we put a fishing pole up (at the school)," said Logan Bailey, one of the teen’s best friends.
Beach was on his way to go fishing when he was hit by a sport utility vehicle a week and a half ago. Police said he was riding his bike when he turned into the path of the driver on Springfield Parkway.
Eyewitness News was there Wednesday as Beach's five pallbearers visited his memorial on school grounds.
Ben Flannigan said he feels the same way as his somber classmates do about the loss.
“It's just tremendously hard on me. I don't know what to do really," he said.
Nor does childhood friend Brian Mullis. He was supposed to go fishing with Beach when plans changed.
Now reality is setting in for the teens, who know burying their friend on Thursday will be one of the toughest duties of their young lives.
“Parrish didn't deserve that. I mean, you wouldn't expect him to get hit by a car," said Steven Simpson.
"It seems to me like everybody is in shock; it shouldn't have happened," said Robert Munday.
Ben Flannigan added, "He was just one of the loyalist friends I've ever had. I'm going to miss him a lot."
A candlelight vigil is planned for next Wednesday. Also, the school will plant a tree and put up a plaque. The ceremony is open to the public.
From another article:
Nation Ford High's Bass Fishing Team was saving money to buy Parrish Beach II, 15, a new fishing pole.
On Oct. 27, Parrish's bicycle boasted a pole-holder containing his prized fishing rod while en route to his favorite fishing hole. He made a left turn off Springfield Parkway toward the Anne Springs Close Greenway when an SUV tried to pass him from behind.
Parrish spent eight days at Carolinas Medical Center. His best friend, Logan Bailey, took him a balloon that read, "It's a Girl!" His fishing buddy Jason Sandy had planned to visit him Tuesday.
Parrish never regained consciousness and died Sunday night. No charges are expected to be filed, according to Fort Mill police.
Nation Ford teenagers learned about it Monday. In a day of tears, about a dozen of his friends, most sophomores like Parrish, spent Monday in the school's counseling office.
Parrish loved sports, so the teenagers painted a boulder by the school track. It said: "Gone Fishing. Forever in our hearts, Parrish." They erected two crosses in front of it and strewed flowers on the ground. They leaned a fishing pole against one of the crosses.
"I went right to the pond after school when I heard about it," Jason said. "I needed some time to think."
The school district plans to transport two busloads of teenagers to the funeral Thursday, Parrish's family said Tuesday.
"He was very loved by his family and friends," said Michelina Paneti, his cousin who was appointed spokesperson by a family too devastated to put feelings into words. "He had a heart of gold and always worried about what other people thought and felt. He never wanted anybody to be angry."
Parrish's lifelong buddies agreed with that. Whenever they groused about a class, Parrish had a supportive word about the teacher.
Parrish had placed a quote on his MySpace page: "A bad day fishing is better than a good day of work." He was heading to the fishing pond to practice for a Bass Fishing Team tourney that Saturday.
He could always catch fish when none would bite for anybody else, according to his friends. They attributed that to his patience.
But his first love was baseball. He and Nation Ford quarterback Mitchell Starnes played Little League together all through school until about the sixth grade. Parrish, at six feet and more than 200 pounds, became a catcher and a first-baseman who could hit.
Aside from fishing and baseball, Mitchell said he loved "cracking jokes. I think it was because he liked making people smile."
"He was never in a bad mood," added buddy Ben Boykin. "You never saw him moping around."
Parrish intended to try out for basketball and football in the coming year, but his life goal was to become a professional baseball player, according to his father, Parrish Beach Sr.
"We always said we were going to go to the University of North Carolina together," Logan said. "Me and him were best friends since the first grade."
If Parrish did succeed as a professional baseball player, he planned to use proceeds to help others, according to his mother, Janet.
When he was struck Oct. 27, he was wearing UNC shorts, his favorite. Friends said that if Parrish had been conscious, he would have tried to prevent medics from cutting them off him.
Reality set in Tuesday.
"I'd always see him walking to fourth block," Mitchell said. "I won't do that anymore."
"I won't be able to just pick up the phone and call him," Logan said.
"It was real when I knew he was never going to come back and lift weights with me," Ben said.
"From my science class, I could look out and see where he and Logan were eating lunch," said Jason. "When I looked out today, there was nobody there."