Graded stakes-winning owner and breeder William "Bill" Parsons Jr. of Locust Valley, N.Y, and Gulfstream, Fla., died Feb. 29. He was 81.
Parsons raced numerous high-class horses in partnership with David Howe, including Merry Meadow and Summersault. The former won the 2015 Princess Rooney Stakes (G2) and $852,800, and the latter made $503,443 and captured the 2017 Orchid Stakes (G3T) in her top achievement.
Mark Hennig, who trained both homebred mares, called Parsons "a great friend, client, and mentor" in a post on the social media platform X.
Parsons and Howe teamed to win 59 races together according to Equibase statistics going back to 2000.
Parsons is survived by his wife, Terry; his children, William (Katherine) Parsons, Charles (Susan) Parsons, and Louise (Brian) Parry; his seven grandchildren, Olivia Parsons, Natalie Parsons, Ellory Parsons, Dylan Parry, William Parsons, Brooke Parry, and Charlotte Parry; and his sisters, The Rev. Dr. Llewelyn P. Smith and The Rev. Dr. Louise Parsons Pietsch.
Parsons attended The Buckley School and Phillips Exeter Academy and graduated from Yale University in 1965 and in 1968 received his LL.B. from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He joined the law firm of Davis Polk and Wardwell in 1968, where he was a partner from 1977 until his retirement in 2000. Parsons specialized in complex trusts and estates and was a pioneer of the firm's pension and trust investment practice. After his retirement, he remained with the firm as Senior Counsel.
Parsons served as a director and trustee for numerous organizations, including the Cedar Hill Foundation, Weezie Foundation, NY Backstretch Employees' Pension Trust, Long Island Biological Association, The Buckley School, and The Episcopal School in the City of New York. He was a devoted member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., serving in many leadership roles, including senior warden.
Parsons excelled in many sports throughout his life, including at Yale, where he played tennis and squash. He will be remembered for his kindness, infectious laugh, love of racehorses, and talented piano playing.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Parson's memory to St. John's Episcopal Church Cold Spring Harbor, NY. 1670 Route 25 A, P.O. Box 266, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
