Jessie Parra

Jessie M. Parra, 101, passed away peacefully with her son and daughter at her side on April 10, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. Jessie was preceded in death by her husband, Al; her son, Gary; and 3 of her 4 sisters, Mary (Johnny); Inez (Ted); and Lydia (Lalo/Rod).

Jessie is survived by her son Ron (Nancy); daughter Therese (Bobby); little sister Edith “Dubbie (Gilbert); grandchildren Alan, Sarah, and Dagan; great grandchildren Aston (Gabriela) and Slade; and her great great granddaughters Thea and Mya.

Jessie was a dedicated parishioner and member of the ladies sodality auxiliary at Saint Thomas the Apostle, as well as a frequent mass participant at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Agnes, and Saint Theresa area catholic churches, Holy Cross Church, Morenci, Arizona, and later a 24 hour EWTN viewer/listener at Kivel.

In 1923, Jessie was born and blessed with a full and meaningful life, growing up with her sisters, Mary, Inez, Dubbie, and Lydia and their parents in Solomonville, Arizona and El Paso, Texas where all five sisters were active in school activities, clubs and sports.

In 1945, Jessie and Al with Inez (Ted) as witnesses married and moved to Morenci, Arizona after Al completed his pacific combat tour of duty with the United States Army alongside his longtime friend and brother in law, Mary (Johnny). Jessie’s engaging personality, strong work ethic, and customer service skills paired with her quality work product as a beautician, made an instant hit with the large, diverse and demanding copper mine community. Her perennial success, reliabilty, and quality, provided her the opportunity to be awarded the beauty salon franchise which she successfully managed for over three decades - even through protracted and recurring copper miners' strikes, “Jessie’s” maintained uninterrupted service to her clientele of community leaders, educators, hospital staff, and the diverse spectrum of the overall mining community. Fortunately, Jessie’s business acumen was geometrically enhanced by the invaluable support of her sisters Edith (Gilbert) and Lydia (Lalo/Rod) who would come to help with her children and to participate in the management of the business. Grateful for her blessings, Jessie also gave back to the community by providing all local school girls with substantive discounts for all school proms as well as by providing her own after business hours, styling services gratis to all the deceased loved ones in the community.

In 1976, inevitably, Jessie's organizational and management skills; her quality service with respect for all the community, her religious and family values, her community outreach aplomb, and her business integrity, engaged the attention of state and county Democratic party officials who petitioned Jessie to consider seeking public office. After considerable encouragement, including the pivotal Morenci visit and meeting from Senator Dennis Deconcini, Jessie reluctantly entered the Democratic primary election for Greenlee County Assessor with a modicum of personal expectation of victory. However, when the election night final voting results were tabulated, the UPI and the Arizona Daily Star reported a landside victory for Jessie. Moreover, with no Republican candidates, her victory in the Democratic primary, paved the way in November for Jessie to become the first woman to be elected to the office. Nevertheless, Jessie's proudest moment came when Secretary of State Rose Mofford, the first woman elected to the office and subsequently the first woman to be elected as Governor of Arizona, personally administered Jessie's oath of office and presented her with a special identification card case embossed with the seal of Arizona which Jessie cherished and kept at her side when she passed away.

Jessie's new career provided her not only the opportunity to continue her service to the community; but also, on a personal note, afforded Jessie the rare opportunity to pursue her joy and affinity for fast driving. Jessie was often observed on her way from Morenci to Phoenix to attend assessors' meetings and then on to visit her sisters and parents, skillfully navigating her copper grand prix along the winding roads with the skill of a le mans race car driver.

In 1980, Jessie chose not to seek reelection. Instead, Jessie participated with her four incredibly impressive sisters in a collaborative effort to serve as loving care givers in phoenix for their wonderful parents, true to their collective, profound religous commitment to honor thy father and mother until their passing.

Jessie embarked on her final formal job career with Saint Francis Cementary as a receptionist and comforter to grieving families until, at age 80, she decided to retire and reside with Al in Phoenix until his death in 2006.

In 2019, Jessie became a Kivel care center resident and joined her new extended family. She enjoyed and flourished in the active social environment, where she regarded both staff and residents as her family. Her new life afforded her the opportunity to pursue her full time love of praying on behalf of her sisters, children, nieces, nephews and all of their families and of course her new Kivel family. The sincere love and deep faith behind Jessie's powerful prayers helped many to persevere and prevail over adversity. Jessie touched all of us and we are all better for her sharing her love with us or as Jessie would say with her little girl smile and giggle.......... I love you more".

Thank all of you for your kindness to mom which irrefutably was her inspiration to eclipse her century of love with us.

Extra gratitude to Kivel, Hospice of the Valley, Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, St. Theresa Catholic Church, and Saint Francis Catholic Cemetery, my sister, my Marriott family, my Ortega family, my De La Torre family, my Alvarez family, my Benavidez family, my Rodriguez family, and my Diaz family.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 10 A.M. with a Rosary at 9:30 A.M. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 2312 E. Campbell Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Burial to follow at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers it is Jessie’s wish for you to offer masses in her memory.

Please remember that nothing beautiful in this world is ever really lost. Those we love will live forever in our memories and hearts with a smile.