Enon will celebrate its annual Apple Butter Festival this weekend.

Unfortunately, the southwestern Clark County village will do so without one of its leading residents.

Paul Parrish died on Oct. 2 after leaving a significant mark during his nearly 97 years of life.

He served in the U.S. Army in World War II, and went on to a civilian career that ended with his retirement from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base after 38 years.

Not only was he a member of the Enon United Methodist Church, he was the longest attending member, dating back to 1949, and served that church in a variety of positions over those years.

Parrish served on the Enon Village Council for 27 years and was honored as Enon Senior Citizen of the Year earlier this year. He told those attending the ceremony, “Enon is a great place to live.”

He had a very large hand hand in making that so.

But those who knew him also knew his greatest source of pride was his family, starting with his wife of 76 years, Imogene, who died in May. They had four daughters, eight grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. His goal — which was achieved — was for all eight grandchildren to graduate from college. And he took steps to make that dream a reality.

It was a very proud occasion for the family in 2006, when the Parrishes were named king and queen of the Springfield Kiwanis Club and United Senior Services Golden Wedding Party at the Clark County Fair.

I had the privilege of knowing Mr. and Mrs. Parrish for more than 20 years. In many ways, they were like grandparents to me as well. I will always appreciate their friendliness, hospitality, advice and the good times we shared. I am just one of a great many lives they touched over the years.

The passing of someone like Paul Parrish leaves a void that is not easily filled, not only in a family, but also in a church and a community.

As the family expressed in the program for the celebration of his life, “(Y)ou have always been our rock and our hero.”

What was most impressive to me was the quiet and dignified way in which he led his life, always leading by example and reaching out to people.

To those of us who are left to carry on, we are blessed to have known people like Paul Parrish and to have been the beneficiaries of their wonderful qualities.

We can best honor them by using those qualities as they did and sharing them with others.