Sally Lee Parr, 84, of Marshfield, WI and North Port, FL (formerly of Wisconsin Rapids, WI) passed away peacefully at House of the Dove in Marshfield on Monday, January 8, 2024.
Sally was born November 8, 1939, in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, the daughter of Harlow & Lillian (Tyjeski) Ebbe. The youngest of three children, she grew up tough and able to work hard in the family businesses which included Ebbe’s Lake Aire in Wisconsin Rapids.
Following high school, Sally married R. David Falkosky on February 14, 1959, and they had four children. They later divorced.
In 1977, she met and married the love of her life, Allen Fay Parr. Sal and Al initially met while he was the Gardner’s bread man for her father’s supper club. Al always said she jumped on and stowed away on his bread truck, while he stowed away with her heart. Inseparable as a couple, she married Al on October 20, 1980 at the Little Brown Church in the Vale in Nashua, IA. With this union she gained three more children.
After her father’s passing, also in 1980, Sal & Al made their work and career their life’s passion as they took over Ebbe’s Lake Aire Supper Club. Thousands of kids knew Sal from Lake Aire as they got candy and other treats from her behind the bar. Sal, by her nature, developed very, very close bonds with the staff and customers at Lake Aire. Sal made you feel genuinely welcome and was known to tell you “Have A Good Night!”
Pound for pound, she was one of the toughest women in the area as son Davey found out at age 14, when she whipped him in an arm wrestling contest. She could haul five large pails of ice in two hands up the steps at the supper club. Rarely did Sally sit still as there were always things to do, things to make, clean or help others with, but in retirement when 4pm came around it was time for Happy Hour. Then it was time for some candy, two cold beers and a cigarette.
Living next to the supper club on Highway 13, Sal never met a screen door she couldn’t knock off its tracks if you abruptly woke her up from a nap (as occasionally a noisy squad going by their house would do).
As with all good careers, Sal and Al retired in August 2000 from the supper club. They loved traveling in their motorhome all over the country (especially to NASCAR races). They traveled to Tok, Alaska in the motorhome and Sal said she would never ever do that again when she found out how wide the roads “weren’t” up there. Good thing Al didn’t tell her beforehand.
When asked where do you want to be when you retire, they both said it didn’t matter as long as they were there together. She loved playing Cribbage, Sheepshead, Hearts and Canasta with Al and the kids and grandkids. She never cared if she won or lost but certainly smiled for days after getting a rare wild-card canasta or a 28 hand.
After retiring and settling down into a snow bird role, Al and Sal would go to the Gulf and winter in North Port, Florida where they met a number of new friends from all around the country. Even in Florida, Happy Hour was at 4pm at their house and everyone knew it was a great get-together. If you didn’t find Sal in the house working on something, she would be out with Al in the garage, working with his wood tools. If she measured something however, Al would always add an extra inch first before he cut anything. Sal was widely known for her patience… as she didn’t have any (except with her kids).
She loved doing yard work and mowing lawn. She really enjoyed flowers and gardening, eating vegetables and thought fruit was a four letter word. She was always concerned about other people and wanting to make sure they were home, safe or cared for. She worried about her neighbors and friends but didn’t want them to worry about her.
In 2006, they enjoyed a change of life by running a campground for the Corps of Engineers in Ashland City, TN. They later spent many years on Lake Camelot during the summer and finally moved to Marshfield for the summers in 2019 while still wintering in Florida.
She really didn’t like snow but loved central Wisconsin. She didn’t really like hot weather but loved North Port, Florida.
When Al passed in July 2022, Sal was left with a very broken heart. The day after what would have been Al’s 80th birthday, Sal joined him to be “On the Road Again” in their motorhome in the sky.
Her seven children include Cheryl (Rick) O’Keefe of Wisconsin Rapids, WI; Tami “Beaver” (Jeff) Braiedy of Cohasset, MN; David “Davey” (Geralyn) Falkosky Sr of Marshfield, WI; Todd Parr of Tomah, WI; Tracy (Heidi) Parr of Warrens, WI and Terry (Andrea) Parr of Onalaska, WI.
Grandchildren Jason (Jenn Sammartino) O’Keefe of Nekoosa, WI; Kasey O’Keefe of Watertown, WI; Tyler (Haley) O’Keefe of Wis Rapids, WI; Alex Braiedy of Aspen, CO; Jaclyn Braiedy of Virginia, MN; Adam Braiedy of Plymouth, MN; David “DJ” Falkosky Jr and Jacob Falkosky of Marshfield, WI and Jarrett and Jackson Parr of Warrens, WI. Great-grandchildren John Michael and Jameson O’Keefe of Nekoosa, WI.
Friends were her life. She will be greatly missed by the Wednesday “Dump Run” bunch and very special friends including Bev Krekowski (and her fur baby Annie), Bonnie & Ron Mancl, Al & Sherry Cleveland and Clare & Monica Jenkins. She also enjoyed her weekly Thursday breakfast mornings with Danny & Terre Forbes. They still had a lot of great friends from their years at Lake Aire including Frank Flammini, Elaine Johnson, Rick & Dianne Skifton and “Red” Dykstra.
Her North Port Florida friends, the “Lacasa Kids,” were a big part of her life including Marie Horgan, “Fireman Al” & Betty Fournier, Arlene Peterson, Ed & Connie Listmann, Janet Krebs and many others. Wherever they went, they met a group to become friends with. While motorhoming they met fun travel buddies George & Sue Wilson and Woody & Betty Blackburn. Their close lake friends included Neil & Linda. She loved her annual lunches with childhood friend Sally Minick. Pearl will also miss their rides together. Sal had a lot more special friends and those that knew her knew how much she appreciated them!
Her husband Big Al said “you never know when this get-together will be your last” but everyone will be together one more time at the visitation from 10am to Noon at Rembs Funeral Home in Marshfield, WI on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 followed by a Noon service by Pastor Mark Krueger. A meal will follow at the Rembs Celebration Center and then off to an early Happy Hour at Brown’s Bar in Marshfield. Burial will occur the next day at Restlawn Memorial Park in Wisconsin Rapids, WI. The service will be livestreamed online at www.facebook.com/rembsfuneralhomes.
Wear your favorite red attire to celebrate her favorite color!
Sal is also survived by sisters-in-law Carol Chroninger, Mickie Parr and Joan Parr.
She was predeceased by her first son, David James, her parents and her brother and sister-in-law Roger “Rod” & Linda Ebbe and sister and brother-in-law Dr Mike & Pat Ebbe Conmy along with her brothers-in-law Jerry Parr and David Parr
She was also predeceased by her good friends Margo Austreng, Donnie & Gail Williamson, Jim Krekowski, Ron “Fonzie” Dykstra, Carol Flammini, Jim & Sandy Nelson, “Sparky” Johnson, John Horgan, Ed Chalkley, Richie Swierczynski and Mary Ann Krebs.
The family would like to thank the nurses and nursing assistants at the hospital for the care she received and also the staff at House of the Dove. Also a very special thanks to family friend and personal physician Dr. Paul for his compassion, wisdom and insight.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ADRC in Marshfield, WI. Any monetary contributions will be used for the Sally Parr scholarship which is being established.
Author: News Desk
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