Mark "Blueberry" Parella

On September 17th, an evening marked with a super moon, partial lunar eclipse and the Northern Lights, Blueberry (Blue), also known as Mark Parella - Dad, husband, son, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend - the unofficial Mayor of Millbury, peacefully ended his journey in his earthly body. How many actually knew his real name was Mark?

 Millbury was his town. His village. It’s where he lived all his days aside from a small stint in Worcester after his first son was born. But as soon as he could, it was back to Millbury, where he would re-establish his roots, not that they ever withered away. He had no desire to live anywhere else. In his most recent years it’s also where he worked. His was a well-known face when he was employed at Goretti’s and A&D, both long-standing establishments in town. He had a deep-seated love for music - it was interwoven in his soul. To watch him sing along with songs, you could feel it! The number of concerts he attended was likely in the thousands. He’d see many of them on repeat. It was the music that mattered. It’s likely that Brett Michaels/ Poison was the most attended by him. Over the years there were many party buses transporting a large group of friends to attend a concert. That grew to an annual trip to the 3-day M3 festival in Maryland, a tradition for him and his friends for quite a few years now. An avid sports fan, he has loved the Raiders and the Bruins since his youth. Now, you may question how a man who grew up in Massachusetts loved the Raiders. It was the bad-ass logo and reputation of the fans that started it all. If he wasn’t wearing a Raiders jersey, he was wearing a Bruins jersey. Second to either of those was a rock shirt. Included in sports was, in younger years wrestling, which changed to UFC. Many nights when a game or fight was on, and if the weather was good, he would bring the TV into the backyard to watch whatever the sporting event of the moment was. But whether in the house, outside, at an establishment or on his phone, he was going to watch.

Some of his other loves in life… Reading Stephen King. Watching Days of our Lives. The St Charles - they may need to dedicate a stool to him there. It was almost a second home for him. Marks’s biggest love was his family - he was a dedicated husband and father and grandfather. He met Tammy in 2004. At that time, he had three children. He and Tammy were married Oct. 14, 2006, and grew their family by two more. Mark evolved into a man who would do just about anything for his wife and children. Family time and making memories was very important to him - Holidays, Sunday dinners, card nights, annual Hampton Beach trips, Florida, Niagara Falls, movies, fight and sports game nights, time out by the pool, cookouts, playing cornhole. He was an awesome uncle to all the cousins. They knew not to have their toes or nose unprotected when he was around! He welcomed all the friends of his children into the home. He really had an open-door policy for all, and it presented with a demeanor of nonchalance. He didn’t care who came over or tagged along with them anywhere they went.

Mark possessed a youthful spirit coupled with an infectious laugh, which at times could be slightly mischievous. He was magnetic, which is exemplified in the massive tribe he was a part of. People who knew him all resonate with the same statements. If you needed something - anything, just say the word. He was giving and kind. Always there with an ear to listen. Kind, generous, funny and loyal. A sports fanatic and concert junkie who enjoyed playing Keno, football pools, or the roulette table at the casino. Christmas was his favorite holiday, with Halloween a close second. He was lively, the life of any party. He’d sometimes snatch a moth that was flying around and toss it in his mouth as entertainment and shock value for children and adults alike. Though once he saw that a nest of baby birds perished in the heat of his parents grill from the summer sun, he would never eat anything off that grill again, so we aren’t sure how he could do the former!

 Mark valued life. In his young days, he and his friend were walking home after a night out. They saw a man on the Blackstone River bridge on Elm St, looking over the edge. On instinct alone they ran over saying “Don’t do it man! Don’t do it!” It turned out that they were right. He was going to jump, and they saved his life with their intervention purely based on intuition. In later years many would perish in the Station fire. He lost 3 friends that night. Turning tragedy into positive, he set up a scholarship fund to pay homage. A benefit would be held each year to fundraise for it. With this undertaking came months of preparation, including solidifying a location, gathering raffle donations and soliciting bands to volunteer as entertainment for the event. It grew so large they started holding it at Rascals with attendance easily in the hundreds. The pain of your departure, Mark, is shared by many because you were loved by many. You didn’t want to go but your body had different plans. You sure put up one hell of a fight. And you had an army cheering you on, even in your final days.

 How do we say goodbye?

Do it with a resounding “Woooooooooooo!” Celebrate him as he did every celebratory moment – it’s what he would yell out at every concert, race, football or hockey game goal and win, even when a great tune came on that he was excited to hear. He lives on in every 80s metal and hair band song that pops up. Because Mark LIVED that music. Though he did have a love affair with country back in the day for a spell, rock was his soul. So, crank it up loud and let it infect yours like it fueled his!

 People may say that 55 years was too short a life. But he fit a lot of living in 55 years. Enough to make memories for a lifetime with thousands. Pay homage to life. Make it matter, because it does. If you need inspiration, just look around and see all the ones he touched. Mark leaves his wife Tammy, who truly embraced her marriage vow in sickness and in health, children Joshua and his wife Ali, Ashleigh, Jacob, Jackson, and Trey, grandson Ryder, his mother Theresa Jane Parella, his sisters Lisa Parella and Susan Arrell. He also leaves aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces of both the Parella and St Pierre families. And friends - so many you could likely fill a concert hall. His father Richard Parella predeceased him, as well as many family members and friends. If there is a Heaven, he was most certainly welcomed by a multitude of loved ones.

We invite you to join us as we gather together to celebrate his life Tuesday Sept 24th 3-7pm. As Mark was not one to dress up, in fact he wore shorts most of his life, we invite you to honor him by wearing something Raiders, Bruins or a rock shirt, or even the colors of one of those two teams.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Adam Bullen Memorial Foundation. This local non-profit organization supports others as they fight cancer. They helped his family on more than one occasion, and any donation in his name will assist them in doing the same for others. www.AdamBullen.com 

 Donations can be mailed to 8 B Concord Court, Webster, Ma 01570