Obituary of Martha Park

Martha Rawls Parrish Park, 85, of Cayce, SC, passed away January 13, 2024. Born in Dublin, Georgia, July 23, 1938 and raised in Statesboro, Georgia; she was the daughter of the late G. Wayne and Mildred Rawls Parrish.

Martha was a graduate of Statesboro High School and Georgia Southern University where she majored in English. She later attended the University of South Carolina, earning a master’s of education.

Martha married her husband, Jim, in March 1960 and moved to Cayce, South Carolina where she began her teaching career at Eau Claire High School. She taught English at Brookland Cayce High School from 1964 until her retirement in 1992. Her joy and passion for teaching was surpassed only by her next “job” in life which was being Grandma Mango to her 4 grandchildren. She cared for each of them in her home until they started school and then kept them during holiday breaks and summer vacation. Their lives were made immeasurably better by the love, laughs and adventures with which she filled their days.

Martha loved the Lord and was an active member of Cayce United Methodist Church, Seekers Sunday school class and Susanna Wesley Circle. She also volunteered her time at Gods Helping Hands and was a poll worker for many years. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma teacher’s sorority and the Cayce Woman’s Club. Martha was a 2013 inductee into the Brookland Cayce Hall of Fame.

She enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, Broadway shows and traveling. She and Jim visited 49 of 50 states, Canada and much of Europe. Of all the places she spent time, her favorite was anywhere that her family gathered. She especially loved extended family gatherings at the farm in Dublin, Georgia.

In addition to her parents, Martha was predeceased by her husband, Jim. She is survived by her son, Jimmy (Karen) Park; daughter, Suzanne (Tom) Fitts; grandchildren, Kaitlyn Park, Daisy (Drew) Roswurm, Parker Fitts and Parrish Fitts. She is also survived by her sister, Natalie Neville; nephews, nieces and many cousins and her 1st great grandchild due June 2024.

A celebration of life will be held Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Cayce United Methodist Church, with visitation to follow immediately after the service in the fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial to Cayce Methodist Church, Gods Helping Hands or a charity of your choice.