Robert Boyd Parsons, M.D. 12/9/1929 - 7/18/2026

Robert (Bob) Parsons, devoted son, husband, father, Navy veteran and family physician, passed away peacefully on July 18, 2026, at Brittany Pointe Estates in Lansdale, PA.

The only child of Ralph and Frances (Boyd) Parsons, Bob was born and raised in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia. Bob attended the William Penn Charter School where he thrived as a student-athlete. He played basketball and won the prized Dupont scholarship which allowed him to attend college. Bob graduated from Swarthmore College in 1951 with a BA in Economics.

After graduation, Bob signed up to serve as an officer in the Unted States Navy during the Korean War. According to Parsons family lore, when Bob first tried to sign up, they sent him away because he weighed less than the required 150 lbs. Undeterred, he went home, drank water, and ate bananas so that he could go back and hit the weight mark. After attending Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI, Bob was commissioned as an Ensign and then promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and he proudly served on the battleship USS Mississippi. After discharge, Bob pursued his dream of becoming a physician by enrolling at Temple University Medical School on the GI bill.

After graduation, Bob did his residency at Abington Memorial Hospital where he met a young volunteer, Barbara Brecht. They married shortly after her graduation from Ursinus College in June of 1960.

Bob joined the medical practice of Bartelt and Hess in Rockledge, PA in 1961 where he practiced family medicine until his retirement in 1997. Bob cared for generations of families over his many years in practice. A superb and caring diagnostician, he was deeply devoted to his patients. He served on the staff at Holy Redeemer and Abington Memorial Hospitals.

Together with Barbara they raised two children, Susan and Robert Jr. in Rydal, PA. Summers were spent at the family's beloved Simpson Road house in Ocean City, NJ – where Bob's parents had been taking him since he was a young child. Bob was happiest when his children and grandchildren were with him on the beach. He was devoted to his wife, Barbara, and his family, and he worked hard to take care of them throughout his life.

Bob is survived by his wife of 66 years, Barbara Parsons (Brecht), his daughter, Susan Ritter (Bob), his son Robert, Jr. (Sue), his grandchildren Jack, Tom and Jenny Parsons and Katie, Chrissy and Bobby Ritter, and four great grandchildren.

The family would like to extend its deepest appreciation to the wonderful nurses, aides, hospice workers, and staff at Brittany Pointe Estates, Willowbrooke Court, Upper West Side, for their devotion and care of Bob. They are true angels.

Services and burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob's memory at Abington Health Foundation (online) or by mail at Abington Health Foundation, PO Box 3, Abington, PA 19001.