Ruth Ann (Bostic) Parsley

Ruth Ann Parsley, born November 2, 1941, in Montgomery, West Virginia, to Howard Raymond Bostic and Gwendolyn Maxine Ballard Bostic, passed away on March 10, 2026.

She and her husband, Robert “Bob” Parsley, shared 64 loving years of marriage until his passing in 2024. The couple made Granville, Ohio, their home for 56 years, where Ruth Ann became a cherished and widely known presence in the community. Her Christian faith guided her life, shaping the love, kindness, generosity, and compassion she extended to her family and everyone around her. She and Bob were longtime members of First Baptist Church of Newark and later worshipped at Spring Hills Church in Granville.

For 44 years, Ruth Ann and Bob owned and operated the Granville Child Care Center and established several after-school programs in area school districts, nurturing generations of local children. She received the Granville School District’s 1995 Jody VanTine Outstanding Educator Award and was affectionately called “Granville’s Mom” by the Granville Sentinel in 2016. In 2017, she was honored as Grand Marshal of Granville’s Fourth of July Parade in recognition of her devoted service to the community.

Ruth Ann was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert Parsley; her son, Bob Parsley; brother-in-law Bruce Parsley; brother-in-law Earle Hunter; nephew Mark Hunter; and niece Lori Bostic. She is survived by her son Brian Parsley and his wife Erin of Granville; daughters Lea Ann Parsley-Davenport and her husband Ryan of Granville and Calgary, Alberta; Aimee Parsley-White and her husband Ned of Granville; daughter-in-law Tara Parsley of Granville; brother Michael Bostic and his wife Rosemary of Ansted, West Virginia; sisters-in-law Barbara Lynn Parsley Hunter of Huntington, West Virginia, and Linda Parsley of Winchester, Kentucky; grandchildren Jack Parsley, Graham (Amber) Parsley, Gracie Parsley, Teddy Parsley, Mason White, Lindley White, Nolan White, and Hudson White; great-grandchildren Harper and Adalyn Parsley; and nieces and nephews Heather (Bobby) Wills, Kelly (Kevin) Crist, Matthew (Janice) Bostic, Cristy Toney, and Leslee (John) Feaster. Her legacy endures through her family and the countless children and families she cared for and supported in the community she helped shape.