Pari Bednarz

Pari Bednarz, wife of the late Richard Bednarz, mother of Christine Davis and Rosemary Lane, and sister of Nahid Shambayati, died Tuesday, February 23, 2021 from congestive heart failure at her home in Summerfield, Florida, surrounded by her family. She was 82 years old.

In addition to her children and sister, Pari is survived by her grandchildren, Nathan Davis of Boston, Massachusetts; Luke Davis of New York City, New York; Jack Lane, a junior at Notre Dame University; and Clare Lane, a freshman at Indiana University. She is also survived by her sons-in-law, Kevin Lane of Hinsdale, Illinois, and Matthew Davis of Washington D.C., and her long-time companion, Dennis Clarken, of Summerfield, Florida.

Born Pari Parvaresh in Tehran, Iran on April 21, 1938, Pari was bright, beautiful and ambitious. She excelled at school and graduated first in her class at the Nemazi School of Nursing in Shiraz, Iran in 1959. Pari then studied Public Health Nursing at the American University in Beirut, Lebanon, before attending Wayne State University’s Special Nursing Program on a Rockefeller Scholarship in Detroit, Michigan.

At Wayne State, she met Richard, who first saw her in a campus library.  For several nights, he returned to the library to gaze at Pari and screw up the courage to ask her on a date. Once he did, they dated for seven weeks before marrying in January 1963. Their union would last until Richard’s death 43 years later.

In 1964, the newlyweds moved to Shiraz so that Pari, then pregnant with Christine, could fulfill her nursing residency at Nemazi Hospital. When the couple returned to the United States in 1965, they were the proud parents of a one-year old daughter. In 1968, they welcomed their second daughter, Rosemary, who was born while Richard earned a Ph.D. in Botany from Michigan State University—the same institution Rosemary herself would later attend.

Richard and Pari then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to work at Procter & Gamble. Pari was a research and development technician in the company’s microbiology section. Her accomplishments included investigating potential causes of toxic shock syndrome—a disease that made headlines in the late 1970s after hundreds of young women died from bacterial infections caused by highly absorbent tampons, which were later removed from the market.

In 1982, Richard and Pari accepted jobs at Amway Corporation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pari worked in the company’s manufacturing division doing research and development and product testing. Among other achievements, Pari was a co-holder of a patent for formulating fiber-fortified food products.

In 1998, Richard and Pari retired to DeBary, Florida. They took full advantage of their freedom, traveling extensively in the Caribbean, Europe and North Africa. In 2005, they decided to move to the Del Webb Spruce Creek community in Summerfield, Florida, attracted by its vibrant social scene. It was not Richard’s fate to enjoy the benefits of the move. Tragically, he was diagnosed with leukemia and died a year later.

Pari became a widow in a retirement community she did not know, save for Elaine and Jerry Cunningham. The Cunninghams were close friends from DeBary, who had previously relocated to Del Webb. Their love and support sustained Pari during this difficult time.  

Once the social butterfly was ready to fly again, she soared. Pari met Dennis Clarken, a former resident of Long Island, New York, who had also retired to the Del Webb community. Their relationship lasted until the end of Pari’s life. Together, they embraced Del Webb’s active social scene, playing cards, dining out, taking cruises, and becoming accomplished pickle-ball players. Pari, always a cut-throat ping-pong player, was a natural, and she correctly judged that Dennis would be too. Their love of the sport was infectious, and a new generation of pickle ball players was born—Pari’s children and grandchildren, and Dennis’s too.

Family was everything to Pari. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and kept close tabs on everything they were doing. She frequently combined her two great loves—cruises and grandchildren—by treating her entire family to week-long tours of the Caribbean.  

Pari’s niece Nicole Ripper (from her late husband Richard’s side of the family) was like another daughter. Aunt Pari expected regular updates on what Nicole’s daughters, Lexi and Jess, were doing. Their many accomplishments, like her own grandchildrens’, were a source of delight.

Pari adored her younger sister Nahid. Following the Iranian Revolution, Nahid, her husband Bijan, and sons Soroosh and Shervin, had fled to the United States. The emigration of several other relatives made it possible for Pari to enjoy her heritage at family gatherings in this country. Two cousins, Behnaz Quigley and Nadereh Zolghadr, were especially close to Pari.

Pari’s second family included Dennis’s amazing children and their families. This included son Jeffrrey Clarken, his wife Sharon, and their children Landon and Logan; and daughter Cynthia Barban, her husband David, and their children Zachary and Kate.

Pari hit the jackpot by meeting Dennis, who brought her great and unexpected joy after the loss of her beloved husband Richard.  Dennis’s calming presence, his endless patience and kindness, were a constant source of comfort and stability for Pari. Dennis was always there for Pari, never more so than in the last year of her life when health issues steadily took their toll. Pari’s family is forever grateful.

A celebration of life for Pari is expected later this year when we hope it will be easier for in-person gatherings. In the meantime, those interested in honoring Pari are welcome to make a donation in her name to the Hospice Foundation of America. The Foundation will inform Pari's daughter Christine if you include her email address with your donation, christinedvs@icloud.com. A link to the Foundation's website is below.