James McNeil Archer Parsley

James (Jim) McNeill Archer Parsley, of Hillsborough, North Carolina, passed away on January 6, 2026 at age 82.

Jim was born in Durham, NC, to Oscar Grant Parsley and Evelyn Towers Archer Parsley and grew up in Hillsborough. He attended Duke University where he received his BS in Electrical Engineering. He then entered a career as an engineer at Procter and Gamble which ultimately spanned 36 years. This career took him to Lima, Ohio; Jackson, Tennessee; Greenville, North Carolina; and Albany, Georgia. But Jim always wanted to come back to his beloved Hillsborough, and he and his wife Carolyn did return in 2003.

Jim met Carolyn at Duke, and they were married in October of 1968. Together they raised three children, Jett, Jalyn, and Grant. He was Carolyn’s faithful dance partner for 57 years.

Jim was a true gentleman of Christlike character. His patience, gentleness, humility, kindness, generosity, and quiet sense of humor graced everyone he knew. He was always respectful, always reliable, always interested in the other person. No matter who, if you needed help, Jim made time to help. He was known for his loyal service to his church and town. A life-long learner, if something needed to be built or fixed, he found a way. Jim loved being outdoors, canoeing, camping, and hiking. In his final years, he was passionate about preserving the history of his family and town for future generations.

Jim is survived by his wife, his brother Bill Parsley, his children, and nine grandchildren (Jackson, Emma, Katie, Evelyn, Avery, Ian, Jane, Rebekah, and Carlyle). He was a most devoted husband, brother, father, and grandfather.

A memorial service and the interment of his ashes will be held on January 25, 2026, at 2pm, at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Hillsborough. A reception will follow.

If desired, memorial contributions may be made to OCIM at 300 Millstone Dr., Hillsborough, NC 27278, or to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church at 210 St. Mary’s Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278.