Ralph Parraway

Ralph Parraway, age 94 of Pinehurst passed away peacefully Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst.

Graveside services will be 2:00 PM Friday at Pinelawn Memorial Park.

A native of Manhattan, NY he was the second son of the late Charles Spencer and Helen Cuff Parraway. He was educated in New Rochelle, NY public schools, graduating from Albert Leonard High School, as an honor roll student, in 1944. After high school, he worked with John Stewart, James Furlow and later Clarence Riley, where he learned and improved his painting and carpentry skills. In 1946 he married a childhood friend, Merlee Roberson and in 1947 they welcomed their first child, Ralph Lamont. After a number of years of work as a professional painter, their family continued to grow, when Sandra, Denise, Nelson and lastly Cheryl were born. During this growing time he decided to pursue a job at Raytheon Corporation. While at Raytheon, he attended Norwalk Community College, where he excelled in classes in trigonometry and calculus and began working in the capacity of an electrical engineer. He stayed at Raytheon for more than 25 years, until he retired. It was in retirement he found his greatest occupational joy when he started his own business called Rent A Husband, in New Hampshire. Deciding he’d had enough of cold, snowy winters and their children all grown and on their own, Ralph and Merlee moved to Pinehurst, NC, so they could be near Merlee’s eldest sister Laura and younger brother Wendell, who lived in Southern Pines. Not content to sit around, he decided to try his successful business venture in the greater Southern Pines area. His business proved to be more successful than ever and he garnered in excess of 200 clients over 30 years. He worked until he became ill, just a few weeks before his passing. He was a lifelong member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, serving as an elder, sabbath school teacher, choir member, music leader and treasurer, in New Rochelle, NY, Bridgeport, CT, Manchester, NH, Southern Pines & Carthage, NC.