James Lee Parham's Obituary
James Lee (Jim) Parham, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, passed from this life on May 24, 2026. He was born August 28, 1943, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Hillcrest Hospital. Jim was a man who loved God, loved his family, and loved his country. He enjoyed learning new things, loved to dance, and loved life. His favorite saying was "Life is good," and his tombstone will bear a reference to that inscription as "Life was good."
He was preceded in death by his father, Jesse James Parham (1891-1947); his paternal grandparents, James Houston Parham (1860-1945) and Mary Gottschlich Parham (1863-1934); his mother, Minnie Mae Bond Lowe (1912-1994); and his maternal grandparents, Robert Lee Bond (1876-1959) and Lou Ella Shewmaker Bond (1884-1972).
At age 4, Jim's father, Jesse, passed away suddenly after succumbing to an affliction acquired while working in the coal mines of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, around the turn of the century. Afterward, Jim and his mother lived next door to her parents in Red Fork, just southwest of Tulsa, where he started school. At age 7, his mother married A.D. Lowe, and the family moved to Oklahoma City, where Jim finished high school with honors. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma, completed his master's degree at Florida State Christian University, and then began doctoral work.
Jim and his family later moved to Dallas, where he pursued his career. He worked for 20 years with major corporations in the ophthalmic industry, including three years in California before returning to Plano, Texas. He often said one of the greatest joys of his life was the opportunity to work with physicians in surgery, advising and teaching surgical procedures in hundreds of cases. After retiring, he served as vice president and stockholder of a start-up ophthalmic laser company involved in some of the first LASIK procedures in the country.
After retiring a second time, Jim invested in a Gold's Gym franchise with his son, Tracy, and moved from Dallas to Tulsa in 1996, where he helped develop a successful business. After 10 years, he sold his business and merged into a new project with a local Tulsa hospital and orthopedic partnership to develop and build the Platinum Fitness and Rehabilitation Center at Highway 169 and the B.A. Expressway as a partner. He retired a third time in 2012. During his fitness career, Jim began his hobby of powerlifting, eventually setting seven world records in the bench press across four different organizations and compiling 26 first-place titles.
Jim loved to travel with his wife, April, and they visited many places throughout the world. They were married in Hawaii, where Jim also scuba dived, and they explored many islands in the Caribbean, where he was a Divemaster. Their travels also took them to London, England; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Ireland; Australia; New Zealand; South America; and many other exotic places. They also loved taking extended cruises.
Jim had a passion for genealogy and worked on that hobby for more than 35 years. He had one of the largest collections of data on the Parham and Bond families, dating as far back as the 1500s. People from all around the country contacted him regularly for help, which he generously shared.
Jim was a dedicated and proud Freemason. He entered the fraternity on March 30, 1978, in Lewisville, Texas, Lodge No. 201. He transferred his membership to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Lodge No. 243 in December 2011 and completed his Master Mason degree there in 2012. In 2017, he served as Master of the Lodge. He served in 2020 and 2021 as District Deputy Grand Master. He was also a member and officer of the York Rite (KYCH), the Scottish Rite, 32nd degree KCCH, and the Knights of St. Andrew, where he served as Chieftain. Jim would often say, "Masons were the best group of friends and brothers that a man could ever have."
Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, April Bowers-Parham of the home; his son, Tracy Parham of Oklahoma City; son, Jason Parham of Carrollton, Texas; son, Christian West of Mustang, Oklahoma; daughter, Kristie Parham-Bell of Wylie, Texas; daughter, Tonya Pennock of Stroud, Oklahoma; grandchildren, Cristal, Marc, Bailie, and Thayer; and many close family members and friends.
Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family at bixbyfuneralservice.com.
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