Daniel “Dan” R. Parmenter was the most vibrantly alive person anyone could know, overflowing with energy, fearless ability, raw strength and crazy humor. Dan left us on August 17, 2016 at age 50 which was quite a feat given that he believed that he wasn’t going to live past 30 due to his racy lifestyle as a motorcycling chick magnet, refusing to live by the rules.

Dan served in the Army Corps of Engineers where he developed his vocation in building and carpentry while perfecting the art of digging holes and doing pushups. Skilled in all aspects of construction he particularly enjoyed working with wood and timber as displayed in his grand finale log home, which he proudly and stubbornly built with his own two hands.

Dan grew up in Hawaii where he started a lifelong love of the ocean & dress code of flip flops and shorts, honed his amazing balancing skills while surfing, and missed an ADHD diagnosis by a few dozen years. Being a Navy brat he developed a deep-rooted distaste for canned ham and American cheese although he often told the story of his mother carving a block of luncheon loaf into the shape of a turkey which could have contributed to his later woodcarving creativity. As an adult on the mainland he determined that if a meal did not include beef or bacon he would prowl around until his carnivorous cravings were satisfied.

He enjoyed animals, playing pied piper to his chicken and duck minions and spoiling the dachshunds aka “empty nest snooters.” His sister-in-law noted if she came back as a dog she would want to be one of Dan’s wiener dogs. The gardener of the family, he planted a fruit orchard and cultivated a lawn in the midst of a wilderness, no small feat, which will probably turn back into forest due to a lack of interest from his family. A self-proclaimed dominoes champion, he was confident that anyone who beat him was obviously cheating. He loved kids probably because he was a big kid himself and once he had one of his own, he wanted 20, most likely for the free labor.

No doubt his wit came from his Mom, Claudette (Roy), while his stubbornness could have been from his Dad, Wm. David. His off color humor and salty language were developed over years of living in the moment running from the law while listening to Motown jams. Although he was born in Groton, CT, he claimed he was not a Yankee since he was born on a military base.

Due to a misguided belief that finishing his house would be his last accomplishment, he refused to finish construction, possibly to lengthen his life, a strategy that did not pay off. An addiction to cigarettes which he enjoyed so very much like only a smoker could understand did what he swore “wouldn’t happen to me” and developed into an advanced lung cancer diagnosis in April 2016. After successfully avoiding doctors for years he was subjected to batteries of tests, needle pokes, procedures, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and medical testing fit for a guinea pig.

Dan was fiercely loyal to his surviving family; his long suffering, chief hand holding, wife of 22 years, Missy, and his greatest achievement, his pride & joy, his son, Jack. While at one time his wife accused him of having the heart of a little black ant and divorced him, after it appeared to have grown at least 3 times, she agreed to remarry him.

His family asks that you get regular medical checkups, hold hands, learn to forgive, put down your phone, get to know Jesus, laugh often, stop smoking/dipping/chewing, forego the gamble that it won’t happen to you, and truly cherish and relish each moment of God’s creation and the life He has given you because that’s what Dan would have wanted.

Family and friends are invited to a Home-Going Celebration in Dan’s honor. Bring your favorite side dish, memory of Dan, and a carnivorous appetite for brisket. Saturday, August 27 at Noon in the Grace Bible Church Fellowship Hall, 1911 US 71 N, Mena, Arkansas 71953. Arrangements by Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena.

In lieu of flowers please consider a contribution of ‘Jesus Loves Me’ Lambs for Operation Christmas Child which go to many hurting children around the world to bring a smile to their faces and the message of God’s love to their hearts. Send to: Samaritans Purse, “Dan Parmenter Memorial,” PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607, or online at http://bit.ly/2aZVLzD.

Arrangements by Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena.