William Jesse Parvo, of Newport, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, December 18, 2020 at Rhode Island Hospital. He was 81 years old. He was the husband of Janice (Orford) Parvo to whom he was married for 52 years. Born in Newport, RI on February 16, 1939, he was the son of the late Jesse and Emily (Santos) Parvo.
A devoted husband, father and PopPop, he is survived by his son, David R. Parvo, of Morocco, and his daughter, Elizabeth Brown, and her husband, Jason, of Newport, RI; two grandchildren, Alexandra J. Brown and Emma L. Brown; and his sister, Barbara Boog, and her husband, James, of Middletown, RI. He was the proud godfather of Marjorie O’Neill of Howell, NJ and Kevin Boog of Middletown, RI. He leaves behind his right-hand man, John Dias of Middletown.
Upon graduating from Rogers High School in 1956, Bill enlisted with the Navy, completing four years of service as a submariner, primarily on the U.S.S. Angler. He attended Wentworth Institute where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. After working several years in the Boston area, Bill returned to Newport and helped his father establish Jesse Parvo & Son, Inc. in 1964. Bill and his father worked side-by-side for 42 years, painting numerous Bellevue Avenue estates. Bill founded Parvo’s Paint, a store he operated for 45 years. He valued his business relationships with contractors, vendors and Ben Moore associates.
Upon his retirement in 2018, Bill was able to devote his energy to community service on a full-time basis, including Vasco da Gama Board of Directors, Chairman of the Vasco da Gama Scholarship golf tournament, Member of the Seven Castles Club, Ambassador to Azores Golf in San Miguel, Founding Member of the sister-city relationship between Newport and Ponta Delgada, Member of the Hillside Charitable Foundation, and Portuguese Discovery Monument Board of Directors. He treasured all the friendships he made along the way.
Bill was a fan of the Celtics, the Red Sox, the PGA Tour, football and any sports team his children played on. An avid historian, Bill immersed himself in the history of Newport, the Azores, Portuguese explorers and U.S. Navy submarine history. A member of both Wanumetonomy and Green Valley Country Clubs, Bill could often be found on the course, relishing the joy and tolerating the frustration of golf.
Bill enjoyed simple pleasures including napping on the porch at Miski, fishing with his two birds, meeting his friends at the library for one or two, dinner on the porch at Hazard’s and indulging the apples of his eye, Ali and Emma, with a trip to the store so they could pick out “just one thing”. His exceptional energy and ability to hit 22 topics in one conversation earned him the endearing nickname “Hurricane Bill”.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, funeral services and burial must be private.
His Mass of Christian Burial will be livestreamed and may be viewed at https://my.gather.app/remember/william-parvo on Monday at 10:00AM in Jesus Saviour Church, where he was a life-long communicant.
A Celebration of Life will be held when restrictions are lifted.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in Bill’s name to the Vasco da Gama Scholarship Fund or the Hillside Charitable Foundation.
