Obituary – Judge Stewart Parsons

Judge Stewart Parsons passed away on Friday, October 14, 2022 after an illness compounded by long COVID.

He was 82 years old, born in Detroit, Michigan, to George and Lucy Parsons.

Raised in Missouri and Florida, he graduated from Florida High School in Tallahassee in 1957, where he lettered in three sports, football, basketball, and track.

He was the first Florida High student to win a state track meet and has been honored in the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

He cherished his Florida High experience where he had the opportunity to not only excel in sports, but also to sing in the chorus, play French horn in the orchestra and drums in the marching band, and serve as student body president.

Stew was a die-hard Gator and attended the University of Florida and the UF College of Law, graduating in 1966.

He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and was President of Florida Blue Key while in law school.

For extracurricular fun, he was a cheerleader in his junior year.

His years at UF were among the most exciting and fulfilling experiences of his life, preparing him for leadership roles in his future.

He served in the Army National Guard and had a legal practice in Tallahassee for 10 years.

He has the distinction of prevailing in two cases in the early 1970s that allowed women in Florida to legally retain their maiden or professional names after marriage; prior to that, married women were required to adopt their husband’s name, and in trial court the judge ruled against him saying it was “against public policy”.

He won on appeal.

He would say that fate took him to Gadsden County in 1976, where he made his future home, serving as Administrator of the Forensic Treatment Program at Florida State Hospital for 14 years.

He continued with a private legal practice for 15 years until elected as Gadsden County Judge in 2000.

He served in that capacity until retirement age, then continued for 11 years as a Senior Judge, handling cases throughout the Second Judicial Circuit.

Music has always been a passion and a significant part of Stew’s life.

In the fall of 1973, Stew and his close friend Tommy Warren held the first Miller’s Landing Bluegrass Festival overlooking Lake Jackson, which continued twice a year for 5 years, followed by two Miller’s Landing reunion festivals 20 years later.

In the early 1980s, he and several close musician friends formed the Spare Change Band and played at community festivals for 40 years, including Springtime Tallahassee, Greensboro Fourth of July, Sopchoppy Opry, and events in Havana, Chattahoochee, and Tallahassee.

Stew was the lead singer and guitarist.

He also hosted over 15 years of Parsons Pasture Parties at his rural home in Chattahoochee that became locally famous over the years.

He loved to attend live music performances, especially his favorite band The Eagles.

Stew was also passionate about the environment and the health and sustainability of our Earth.

He believed we should all leave this world better than we found it, and he demonstrated that by being one of the first in Gadsden County to have solar installed in his home and drive an electric car.

His volunteerism work over the years has been extensive.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of Murat House Association affiliated with the Tallahassee Junior Museum; was one of the 12 founders of the Capital City Tiger Bay Club in 1971 in order to give a political and media public presence in Tallahassee at the state capital; was a member of the Friends of the Gadsden County Library; member of the Board of the Gadsden County Chamber of Commerce and chair one year; member of the Gadsden County Schools Advisory Committee; member of the Board of Directors of the Quincy Music Theater and President one year; member of the Rotary Clubs of Chattahoochee and Quincy for over 35 years, serving as President twice; coach for Chattahoochee Pee Wee football team for 15 years; Chairman of the Chattahoochee Fall Festival Committee for 5 years; member of the Board of Directors of the Gadsden County Senior Citizens; member of the Friends of Torreya State Park; member of the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity; member of the Board of Directors including serving as Executive Director of Sustainable Tallahassee for 4 years; volunteer for Chattahoochee Main Street and Quincy Main Street; and organizer of Gadsden Interchange, a non-profit organization to bring together citizens of the county from various communities, genders, and races to create community bonds, for example, the Wee Read program for pre-kindergarten children coordinated with Gadsden County Schools.

His close-knit family was first and foremost in Stew’s life, and we’ve had many “Parsons’ Pile-ups” over the years with relatives throughout the country.

He is survived by his wife Becky Parsons, sister Susie Robillard and husband Paul, brother Philip Parsons and wife Jane, daughter Kelley Lemmings and husband Dayton, son Taylor Parsons and wife Joann, daughter Tiffany Parsons-Buckhalt and husband William (Billy) Buckhalt, son Miguel (Mike) Parsons, step-daughter Suzanne Humphrey, step-daughter Juli Kouba, and grandchildren Casey Lemmings, Kyle Parsons, Taylor Rayne Parsons and fiancé Chase Allbaugh, and Gage Parsons, as well as many nieces and nephews and beloved in-laws.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother David Parsons, and Dave’s wife Rebecca.

Stew was very humble about his many achievements and focused on building up others rather than himself.

He always put other people first and often provided legal services without charge or for a trade of services.

His reputation was as a very fair and compassionate judge, believing all people before the court deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

His personality and charisma could light up a room.

His family and friends believe he was one of the finest people to walk this earth and he will be dearly missed and his memory cherished by all who were fortunate enough to know him.

A public recognition for him by Gadsden County will be held on Saturday, October 22, at 11 a.m., on the lawn of the Gadsden County Courthouse in Quincy.

The family will host a personal memorial at a later time.

Anyone who wishes to make a donation in his memory is encouraged to do so with Second Harvest of the Big Bend, earmarked specially for the food backpack program for Gadsden County school students.

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