Jonathan Parsons

Jonathan Allen Parsons
May 16, 1935 - March 7, 2023

Jonathan Allen Parsons, 87, passed on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, MN.  He slipped away peacefully with all five of his children around him.  Jon was born in Minneapolis, MN where he resided until he graduated from the University of Minnesota.  Shortly after finishing college, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where he met Margaret, the love of his life. He told people that marrying her was the best decision he ever made.

Jon was a man of multiple talents and touched many lives as husband, father, grandfather, friend and professor.  His beautiful smile and personality had a way of charming all who met him.  He loved the outdoors, and many family adventures began with Jon choosing a fishing or skiing destination. We all have incredible memories of boating and fishing, skiing, camping, hiking, sailing, and skating.

Jon was an avid reader and his intellectual curiosity was strong to the end. This was apparent in his career of 27 years as a professor at the University of Minnesota.  He conducted research in endocrinology, taught medical students, and mentored many graduate students.  Jon would smile and laugh as he told the story of his students mimicking Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show by announcing, “Heeere’s Johnny!”, as he entered the cadaver lab.   Jon humbly received “the best instructor award” as voted repeatedly by his medical students.

After retiring, he and Margaret built their dream home in Polson, MT where they spent many happy years entertaining friends and family. He took over the cooking and perfected his apple pie baking. In 2022, he relocated back to Minnesota at the Lodge at the Lakes in Stillwater, MN.

Jon is survived by his five children: Alva Marie Parsons of Victor, ID; Sara Jane Parsons from Austin, TX; Susanne Olin Kanning of Bend, OR; Jonathan George Parsons of Lino Lakes, MN; Andrea Parsons Schotzko from Afton, MN; and eleven grandchildren. His memory will live on in our hearts forever.

In lieu of gifts, the family requests for you to contribute to The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, The Raptor Center, in memory of Jonathan A. Parsons.
https://makingagift.umedu/give/fund.html?owner=O_RRC&desc_source=UWXXRAPTSITE