Emma Shelburne Perdue Parcell
May 18, 1945 — June 29, 2026
Born in Rocky Mount, VA, on May 18th, 1945, Emma Shelburne Perdue Parcell passed away Monday, June 29, 2026 at the age of 81. She was a woman who loved the hills of southwest Virginia, whether it be by bike, foot, or boat. As a teacher, a friend, a mother, and a grandmother she touched so many people’s lives. In her 36-year career as a beloved teacher of Spanish and Technology, Emma taught generations of Franklin County students. Her quiet strength and gentle kindness were infectious and it was impossible to go to the grocery store with her without hearing countless greetings.
She graduated Franklin County High School in 1963 and from Hollins College in 1967. She earned her Master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Virginia in 1970. Over her career she taught in Maggie Walker High School in Richmond, VA, Snow Creek Elementary, Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Rocky Mount, VA, and at the Gereau Center for Applied Technology and Career Exploration (CATCE) in Rocky Mount, VA.
She retired in 2006 but never stopped moving, finding joy in the simple pleasures of bicycle adventures in lands close and far, swimming at the local YMCA, and hiking her beloved Blue Ridge mountains. Emma was also an accomplished biker and triathlete, winning her age group in multiple local races as well as ones farther afield, like the New York City Five Boro bike tour.
When she wasn’t exploring the world by bike or foot, she tended to her house and land to make it both meticulously beautiful, but also warmly welcoming. She found joy in cultivating flowers of every type, and insisted on mowing with a push mower so it would be just so.
She will be deeply missed by her immediate and extended family, her biking community, her hiking community, her book club, her colleagues, her past students, and the countless friends she made in every corner of the world.
She is predeceased by her mother, Helen Hudson Shelburne Perdue; her father, Clyde Holland “Yidie” Perdue; and her brother, Clyde H. Perdue, Jr.
She is survived by her husband of 58 years, William “Spook” Parcell, with whom she shared a deep bond of love.
She is survived by her loving sisters and siblings-in-law, Nanny and Hansford Leake, Randolph and Joe Martin, Vickie Perdue, David and Sharon Parcell, Ben and Flo Parcell, Bob and Liz Parcell; and countless nieces and nephews.
She is survived by her two children, Ry Parcell with his wife Katherine Parcell, and Elizabeth Sharp with her husband Nathan Sharp. She was a devoted grandmother and created a world of joy and comfort for her four grandchildren, Emma Sharp, Leo Sharp, Harper Parcell, and Rafe Parcell.
Our warmest gratitude goes out to Rocky Mount Health and Rehabilitation Center, who went above and beyond to help us care for her in her last months.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Ferrum Rescue Squad. Emma will be commemorated on Monday, July 6, 2026 at 2 p.m. at Flora Funeral Service in Rocky Mount. The visitation will start one hour before the service.
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