Obituary for Bernard "Bernie " Parrish
Bernard (Bernie) Mulvihill Parrish died at age 78 on November 5, 2022, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was born on August 5, 1944, in Erie, Pennsylvania, to Dorothy Mulvihill and Robert Venard. Bernie’s mother later married Henry (Hank) Parrish, whose name Bernie took as his own. He was graduated from Erie Cathedral Preparatory in 1962. He soon entered Robert Morris College, then enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 1964. During his honorable service of four years, he was stationed in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. After completing his military service, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he resumed higher education at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. Guided by his strong ethic of service, he gained employment at Alpha House, a pioneering place of healing where residents living with substance abuse could reconnect with themselves and others. Over thirty-five years of devoted work, Bernie touched the lives of hundreds and hundreds of people in one-on-one work and group sessions and the classroom, even as he ably administered essential functions. Among his many accomplishments, Bernie wrote a special curriculum for adults in recovery at Alpha House and a text for mathematics instruction for use in Allegheny County Jail. He retired from Alpha House in 2016.
Bernie’s life was profoundly shaped by two lovely women. The first was Audrey Speicher, whom he met while on Coast Guard duty in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and married in 1968. Audrey preceded him in death in 1997. The second was Nancy Tulley, whom he chanced to meet on jury duty in the early 2000s. They were married in 2009. Nancy, too, predeceased Bernie in 2015. Two great loves in one lifetime! Some of Bernie’s last words to a friend were “Don’t give up on love.”
Bernie had another love: music. A self-taught guitar player with a fine voice, Bernie was a gifted entertainer. Not only did he play and sing, but he also wrote and produced his own music. At large or intimate parties and family gatherings, at Alpha House, in bars and at vast political rallies, Bernie drew people to music. With his prodigious memory for lyrics and tunes, he engaged young and old in the rich traditions of roots and folk and blues and rock and pop. As generous in his performances as he was in his relationships, Bernie introduced all his listeners to the wonders of American music.
Bernard Mulvihill Parrish was preceded in death by his brother Eddie, his mother, father, and stepfather, in addition to his wives. He is survived by cousins Marilyn Mulvihill, Sally Morbeck, Nora Lersch, and Jimmy Mulvihill, his sisters-in-law Barbara Speicher, Mary (States) Speicher, and Linda (Tulley) Townson and brothers-in-law Jim Speicher, Joe Barton, William Towson, and Gary Gladowski, by nieces and nephews and cousins in the Mulvihill, Speicher, and Tulley families, by countless devoted friends in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, and by his Martin D28 and his Fender 12-string guitars. He was much beloved and will be greatly missed by all.
A memorial service will be held at St. Brendan’s Episcopal Church (2365 McAleer Road, Sewickley, PA) on Monday, November 14, at 1:30pm. In lieu of flowers, Bernie’s mourners may donate to Alpha House (https://alphahouseinc.org/).
Bernie’s life was profoundly shaped by two lovely women. The first was Audrey Speicher, whom he met while on Coast Guard duty in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and married in 1968. Audrey preceded him in death in 1997. The second was Nancy Tulley, whom he chanced to meet on jury duty in the early 2000s. They were married in 2009. Nancy, too, predeceased Bernie in 2015. Two great loves in one lifetime! Some of Bernie’s last words to a friend were “Don’t give up on love.”
Bernie had another love: music. A self-taught guitar player with a fine voice, Bernie was a gifted entertainer. Not only did he play and sing, but he also wrote and produced his own music. At large or intimate parties and family gatherings, at Alpha House, in bars and at vast political rallies, Bernie drew people to music. With his prodigious memory for lyrics and tunes, he engaged young and old in the rich traditions of roots and folk and blues and rock and pop. As generous in his performances as he was in his relationships, Bernie introduced all his listeners to the wonders of American music.
Bernard Mulvihill Parrish was preceded in death by his brother Eddie, his mother, father, and stepfather, in addition to his wives. He is survived by cousins Marilyn Mulvihill, Sally Morbeck, Nora Lersch, and Jimmy Mulvihill, his sisters-in-law Barbara Speicher, Mary (States) Speicher, and Linda (Tulley) Townson and brothers-in-law Jim Speicher, Joe Barton, William Towson, and Gary Gladowski, by nieces and nephews and cousins in the Mulvihill, Speicher, and Tulley families, by countless devoted friends in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, and by his Martin D28 and his Fender 12-string guitars. He was much beloved and will be greatly missed by all.
A memorial service will be held at St. Brendan’s Episcopal Church (2365 McAleer Road, Sewickley, PA) on Monday, November 14, at 1:30pm. In lieu of flowers, Bernie’s mourners may donate to Alpha House (https://alphahouseinc.org/).