John Curtis Parsley

Making it 86 times and 1 day around the sun, John Curtis Parsley was born June 20, 1939, and left this world to be with his Lord and Savior on June 21, 2025.  Curtis was born to Lee Larence and Johnnie Pearl (Hanks) Parsley in the family home in Wrightsboro, Texas, weighing 10lbs. 9oz. He was the 4th of 5 children. Curtis grew up on a farm in the Wrightsboro community for the majority of his childhood years, with the exception of four years that his family spent in Nixon running a restaurant and raising chickens. Around the age of 7, Curtis received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at the Wrightsboro Baptist Church.  Curtis was a very athletic kid and played many sports.  While attending Gonzales High School, he was a football star and Captain of the Mighty Apaches football team.  He received a scholarship to play football at Southwest Texas State College when he graduated high school in 1957. Curtis also joined the Texas Army National Guard his senior year of high school and served from March 1957 to March 1967, reaching the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, Artillery. Curtis’s college football career was not meant to be, however, after he suffered a serious injury in the summer of ’57. That summer, he was working for the Texas Highway Department and was hit by a car.  After several broken bones and a body cast that lasted for months, he was no longer able to play football.   It was shortly after that that he decided to join law enforcement. 

In July, 1959, Curtis married Marilyn Eileen Pierpont and together they had four daughters, Donna Annette, Debra Lynn, Deane Leigh and Charlotte Jo.  In 1976, Curtis had a son named Kevin Duane Petru. 

Curtis graduated, top of his class, from the Victoria Police Academy in 1962 and went to work at the Gonzales Police Department as a patrol officer under Chief Virgil Hanks.  At the time, it was only he and the Chief of Police covering the entire town of Gonzales.  Curtis became the Chief of Police in February 1971 and served in this capacity until February of 1976.  During these years, he was a member of the Gonzales Optimist Club and coached Little League baseball.

In 1979, Curtis decided to run for county sheriff.  He won the position and served as the Sheriff of Gonzales County from July of 1980 thru the end of 1988.  

Curtis was instrumental in the organization of the Gonzales County Rescue and Recovery Team. Members, at the time, consisted of Bubba Hermann, Glen Sachtleben. Robin Law, Andy Rodriguez, Paul Ebner, Tyree Schurig, Trey Hermann.

Curtis was extremely proud of his time in service to the Gonzales community and county. He loved being a Texas law man and was committed to all citizens of Gonzales County. After leaving law enforcement, Curtis worked a few years cattle ranching before going to work for his good friend, Fletcher Johnson, at Johnson Oil Company.  He was the safety manager there for 20 years until his retirement in 2013.

Curtis, nicknamed “The Singing Sheriff”, enjoyed music. He belonged to a group called the Lexington Gospel Quartet with original members, L.D. Decker, William Ince, and Steve Scott. Irene Decker played the Dobro and Tommie Kline played the piano for the group. In the late 90s, he was music minister for Eastside Baptist Church for about 4 years. Later, he was a member of the Praise Team at Emmanual Fellowship.

Curtis, being the character he was, greatly enjoyed acting and the theater, and was a member of the Crystal Theater for many years, participating in and directing several plays including but not limited to The Foreigner, Don’t Drink the Water, Noises Off, Smoke on the Mountain, Mash, The Odd Couple: Female Version.

Curtis was also a proud member of Gonzales chapter of The Sons of the Republic of Texas. He was a member of the Gonzales County Republican Party, an alternate to the Republican State Convention in 2002 and a delegate in 2004.

John Curtis loved his family and his community, and they loved him right back.

Curtis is survived by his children and their families, Debra Dragon (Peter), Deane Parsley, Charlotte Knesek (Kevin), and Kevin Petru (Farrah).  He is also survived by his grandchildren Brandon Dragon (Candice), Garrett Dragon, Jacob Curtis Dragon, Justin Dragon, Hannah Novosad Reynolds (Cody), Gracey Novosad (Peyton Raindl), Kolten Knesek (Kathryn), Kameron Knesek, Maurin Knesek, Lauren Petru, and Ryan Petru; great grandchildren Hensley and Hadalyn Dragon; his brother Lawrence Lee Parsley and sister Alice Faye Parsley Hermann (Bubba) and numerous nieces and nephews.  He is also survived by his special friend Bobby Lee Cowey Wood and her family. Bobby was Curtis's girlfriend in the 4th grade in Nixon and they recently reconnected. Curtis is also survived by chosen family members:  Kristi and Kenneth Carnes; Kyle and Tonya Haecker, children Logan and Rory; Julie Tumlinson, son Sam. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Bernell Parsley Tharp and her spouse Thomas Tharp, sister, Patsy Parsley Singleton and her spouse Odell Singleton, sister-in-law, Carmella J. Dimarco Parsley, nephew Alfred Knolle (Trey) Hermann III, and chosen grandchildren Jessica and Jonathan Coppinger, and great grandson Barrett.

Visitation will be held Monday, June 30, 2025, at Seydler Hill Funeral Home from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Services will be held at First Baptist Church of Gonzales on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 2 pm with Dr. Larry Parsley (nephew of Curtis) and Lynn Wilson (Emmanuel Fellowship pastor) officiating.  Burial will follow at Wrightsboro Cemetery. Pallbearers are his grandsons:  Brandon, Garrett, Jake and Justin Dragon, Kolten and Kameron Knesek, Cody Reynolds and Peyton Raindl.  Honorary Pallbearer Ryan Petru.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Norma’s House (Gonzales Regional Children’s Advocacy Center) or Emmanuel Fellowship Church. Friends may leave their condolences to the family by visiting www.seydlerhillfuneralhome.com.

Services are under the care abd direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.