Eva Darlene (Albright) Parisi

CELEBRATING

Eva Darlene (Albright) Parisi

The Parisi family is still struggling with the passing of Eva largely because it came with no warning. Since we didn’t get to share our earthly goodbyes with Eva, we have chosen to write this obituary directly to her.

Mom, you, were born February 4, 1940, and passed away silently in your sleep the morning of January 29, 2026. You were discovered by your close companion and Health Care Giver, Judid Gonzalez, who immediately knelt and prayed for you after which she called EMTs and family members. The doctor said you most assuredly died painlessly. We thank God for taking you peacefully. Rev. Theodore Prentice (aka Fr. Ted) by his flock at St. Cyril’s Catholic Church anointed you and then invited each of us to come forward to your bedside, he sprinkled holy water in each of our hands, and we in turn caressed and blessed you.

You were always a “West Side Girl”, graduated from Lincoln High School where you picked up “Patrick” Parisi on the bus riding to school and invited him to a turnaround dance. Later you married him and put him through the University of Portland. Your husband’s career resulted in a number of geographic moves during which you held positions in a varied range of business and health care fields.

In spite of your humility and shunning of the limelight, recognition consistently followed you primarily due to how you lived your values as well as your many significant personal and professional achievements.

While raising three children you excelled in several different occupations two of which were highly notable:

· The first was as a bookkeeper for one of Portland’s leading market and real estate investors including two downtown hotels where you, with no prior experience, learned a new emerging computer technology, introduced it to the hotel operating model thereby significantly improving the accounting and management system. .

· Your second major business accomplishment was in residential real estate. Within the Prudential organization you built a Family Business, included daughter, Pati, who with your support gave the business its identity as “Parisi Homes”. Later, son Stephen joined the two of you and, together, created one of the most recognized value driven teams within Prudential and the state of Oregon.

You had a relatively dry sense of humor. For example, sending Patrick off into a field in Eastern Oregon to gather tumbleweed and then, once he was well on the way singing to him “be careful of rattlesnakes”. Another favorite story you loved to share regarding your spouse was about the time he built a rabbit hutch for the Easter Bunny but then had to call you for help because he had stapled himself inside.

If we drove by Cattails, you would ask for the car to stop and plead with Patrick to gather your favorite wildflowers regardless of the risk. You were always close to Mike, your middle son. So, it was no surprise that one of his final gifts was to you with the admonishment to pay off the mortgage on TheCabin at Agate Beach. You were the leader in sustaining The Cabin and establishing it as the center of peace and healing the family and now extended family have come to anticipate.

To mom, as we all came to refer to you, family was always first. You were known to say to your children how much you loved your husband, of late for 67 years, and recognized for the love and happiness you savored for each of them. You always had a daily written list of top priorities. However, there were no “A” priorities on it. The “A” category was reserved for family which always commanded your love and attention before anything else. You challenged all of us to become our best selves. When the children loved something, you would always try to understand it and come to embrace it even if it was new to you.

You were an extremely good person and friend. You converted to Catholicism when Pati was a baby and kept life simple for us all by living your Christian values: love of God, love of family, be on time, help the struggling and always do the best at whatever you did.

You will not be forgotten. You lived your life with respect and dignity. May all of us honor your memory by doing the same.

You are survived by spouse, Patrick Parisi, Patricia Eve Parisi & John McClay, Stephen Joseph Parisi and Julie Parisi, Vi Bowhay, Nicholas Bowhay, Bonita Bowhay, Joshua Bowhay and Quinn Bowhay plus two brothers Walter and Keith Albright and their respective families. You were preceded in death by her parents Walter and Stella Albright, sister Janice Robinson and devoted son John Michael Parisi.

May you rest, mom, eternally at peace in the arms of God!

The celebration of Eva’s life will take place on March 27, 2026, 11:00 AM at St. Cyril’s Catholic Church, 9205 SW 5th St., Wilsonville, OR 97070. A reception will follow in the church hall across the street. A microphone will be available. You are invited to remember Eva to family, friends, and guests.

In lieu of flowers guests are invited to make donations to Our House of Portland, 2727 SE Alder St., Portland, Or. 97214 designated for the “24 hour residential care home” in the name of your son, John Michael Parisi. Then it was a simple place mostly operated by dedicated volunteers who along with you loved, protected and cared for him. Today it is one of Portland’s leading health care not-for-profits.