Christopher John Phillip

Parmiter

Born July 09, 1935. Died October 26, 2026.

Chris was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to his English born parents, Rene' and Lucy Parmiter. Six weeks later he wasn't doing well, so they returned to England where he began to thrive. His parents settled on the Devon/Doset coast. In 1938 a sister, Pauline, arrived.

Living through 1939 to 1945 was the most influential part of his life. War time stories were as vivid to him years later, as when they happened. With his father fighting on the western front, he lived on the English coast with his mother and young sister. A pony and open cart was their transportation. Believing any moment, they might be invaded by Nazi Germany and they would need to flee inland. School attendance was a luxury seldom possible. Air raid sirens screamed day and night. Rene' was invalided home from Dunkirk. Everyone worked. Chris hoed turnips in the fields alongside his father and he remembered the German POW's saying they were thankful to be prisoners on British soil where they were treated well and had something to eat and weren't on the eastern front.

After VE Day his parents sent him to Belmont Abby in Hereford, Herefordshire. He went there at age 10 hardly able to read or write. It was a struggle for him coming into the academic world so late in his childhood. 4 years later he left knowing Latin. He often said how important knowing Latin was to him as it is the basis of the English language. He became a very good long-distance runner while at Belmont, competing at the local schools. He then attended Bicton Agricultural College in Devon and for a year specialized in dairying. At age 18, he successfully passed the very difficult physical and scholastic entrance requirements for the Household Calvary, the Lifeguards. The Monarch's own regiment and the most senior in the British Army. He was very proud to have achieved this opportunity to serve the country and do his National Service. This led to a deployment to Egypt for three years guarding the Suez Canal zone as a shipping route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He was the youngest Corporal in his squadron he was frequently told, "Parmiter, take this rabble for a run before breakfast down around the big white rock. Yes, Sir!" He often would turn around and run backwards just to get them going. They had a good appetite when they got back to camp. The Army issued him the first Daimier Ferret Scott car in the zone. It was his duty to train the regiments how to maintain and operate the light RECO I. This took him to Libya until March 1956 when the British left after over 150 years. Chris often said, "I saw the end of the British Empire"!

In 1956 he left for Canada, joining the RCMP as a police constable. He was stationed in Ottawa on Parliament Hill and at night guarded the Prime Minister's residence. From there he was stationed near Halifax, Nova Scotia. He purchased his departure from the RCMP, wanting to attend Maritime Forest Ranger School in Fredericton, New Brunswick. A very challenging four-year course crammed into a few months, but graduating as the President of his class with honors. He found employment with two large pulp and paper companies in western Canada. 1964 found him rejoining RCMP as he said he wasn't finding any girls behind the spruce trees. He was posted on Highway Patrol at Prince George, B.C. From there he was sent north to the small logging town of Chetwynd, B.C. to a three-man detachment in August of 1966. He soon became aware that there was a Public Health nurse also working there. He kept an eye on her, being careful she was safe but never showing any interest, only indifference upon the occasional meeting up at the local garage where the government cars were maintained. The nurse thought him rather snobbish for a small town. One Saturday afternoon in late November, he appeared at her door to ask for a date. She wasn’t available but shortly afterwards he tried again and she accepted. This date was the beginning of a whirl wind courtship and 7 months later Chris married Ann Hedlund.

Upon leaving the RCMP, he went back to forestry. For the next 25 years he spent time in both government and private operations managing the logging and trucking of timber from stump to mill.

They moved to Colville, Washington in 1999.

Chris died of a stroke at his home with his wife of 59 yrs beside him. He was pre deceased by his parents, Rene' and Candida Parmiter. A infant son, Phillip and an infant daughter, Angela. He leaves his wife, Ann. a son Scott, and a daughter, Mary. A sister, Pauline (Brig. Edward) de Bro'e-Ferguson of Dorset, England. A niece and a nephew along with several cousins.

A graveside service to be officiated by Douglas Taft at Meyers Falls cemetery, Kettle Falls, Washington, November 21, 2026 at 2:30 pm. Danekas Funeral home and Crematory is entrusted with the arrangements.