Daniel Franklin Parman, real estate developer, banker, farm/ranch investor, and dedicated philanthropist died at his San Antonio home on April 9. He was 81.
Parman was born April 27, 1935, in Uvalde, Texas. He graduated from Uvalde High School in 1953, where his classmates voted him “Most Likely to Succeed.” After graduating from Texas A&I University (today’s Texas A&M-Kingsville) in 1957, Parman served in the United States Air Force where he discovered his lifelong love of planes. He was a licensed pilot who enjoyed flying his own plane and soaring in his sail plane. While planes and flying were two of his greatest interests, his pursuit of knowledge and dedication to science defined his life.
Parman began both his real estate development career and his commitment to philanthropy in Uvalde, where he developed one of the city’s first subdivisions, setting aside a portion of land for a new high school and deeding it to the Uvalde Independent School District.
In the 1970s, Parman and his family moved to San Antonio where he continued to develop real estate. In the 1980s, he purchased six ranches in far north central San Antonio for a master-planned community. Parman and his three partners worked with other investors to realize their own visions for the new community. Their collective visions came to fruition in Stone Oak, one of the largest privately financed communities in the United States. Currently, Stone Oak has more than 20,000 single-family homes, apartments, schools, churches, libraries, restaurants, and retail stores.
One of Parman’s greatest gifts was his willingness to share his knowledge and resources with other real estate developers/investors. He was famous for his extensive map and satellite photography collection, which he made available to everyone.
As Parman’s real estate development and banking careers flourished, so did his philanthropy. The San Antonio Public Library Foundation, The University of Texas at San Antonio, UT Health San Antonio, and many other educational institutions and nonprofits all were recipients of his philanthropy.
In addition to a house and land, which Parman gifted to UT Health SA for a president’s residence, Parman established and endowed a chair in medicine to support research on Parkinson’s disease, HIV/AIDS, leukemia, and diabetes. His generosity also supports a multidisciplinary voice center and a research imaging center.
A pledge from Parman also endowed a chair in applied mathematics at UTSA.
“Mathematics is the foundation of all science and essential to our daily lives whether baking a pie or building a nuclear reactor,” he said when he made the gift.
Parman served on various boards at UTSA, UT Health SA, and the UT Health SA School of Nursing, giving of his time and his business acumen, as well as his monetary gifts.
A firm believer in the importance of facilities that served the mind, body, and spirit, Parman turned his attention to parks and libraries. The 17,000-square-foot Parman Library at Stone Oak was built on acreage he donated. The site offers not only a library, but a playground, nature trails, and a community center. It was important to Parman that the library not be just a building filled with books, but a facility that could serve as an art, teaching, and community center in order to feed the minds, bodies, and spirits of those visiting it.
Shortly before his death, City officials named a pavilion at the recently opened Panther Springs Park after Parman, who donated funds and acreage for parking, a trailhead, and a dog park in the 300-acre park. At the park’s dedication, Parman responded to the honor of being the pavilion’s namesake by quoting baseball manager Casey Stengel who said, “It’s real easy to take credit for everybody else’s home runs.” Parman, however, paraphrased Stengel by noting that he was a good manager because he took credit for all the hard work everybody else had done.
Parman was preceded in death by his parents Linnie Montgomery and Daniel Cleveland Parman; his wife Lorna Beach Parman; and his sisters Virginia Dale Parman and Margaret Parman Reese.
He is survived by his sons Bryan D. Parman, Bradley J. Parman and husband Tim Seeliger; and Kevin M. Parman and husband Thomas Nyman; and sister Jane Parman Super; longtime friend Giovanna White, and former daughter-in-law Lisa Byington, all of San Antonio as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and many dear friends.
The Parman sons wish to thank Natasha McClendon and Patricia Wong for their dedicated care of their father.
Honorary pallbearers are: Ron Hallenberger, Peter Wolverton, Margaret Nell Patterson, Steve Golden, Miller Smyth, Joe Birdwell, Linda Gilliam, Chuck Boemecke, John Harrell and Gerald Evetts.
Memorial services, under the direction of Porter Loring Funeral Homes, will be Thursday, April 13 at 4 p.m. at the Southwest School of Art, 300 Augusta St. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for memorials to the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, Uvalde Public Library, American Diabetes Association or a charity of their choice. For more details, click here.
So saddend to hear of the passing of this great Man! He leaves a legacy that that few ever will. Praying for peace for Brad and his entire family.
I am soo sorry to have run across this sad news. My toughts and prayers go out to all of you.
I am soo sorry to have run across this sad news. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you.