Community Leader: Charles Parish

Terell Hills City Councilman and Renaissance Man

Most days you can find Charles Parish perched on a chair in the rear of the front office at Parish Photography on Brees Boulevard, just off North New Braunfels Avenue and across from the Sunset Ridge Shopping Center. At age 78, his eyes still twinkle.
Parish sold his company in 2012 to Jenna-Beth Lyde, a 20-something woman who, like Parish, was a Trinity University graduate. The one stipulation in the contract for sale: “She can’t fire me,” Parish recalled when we met at his studio a few weeks ago.
Parish is known far and wide as the top portrait photographer in San Antonio. He still takes photos, still shoots weddings and loves teaching photography to anyone who wants to learn. Parish and his wife, Betty, a wedding planner, have been married for more than 50 years. They have two grown daughters —Lisa and Kate.
What most folks do not know about Parish is that, despite his illustrious career in the field, he has never thought of himself as a photographer.

YOU ARE THE LONGEST-SERVING CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
IN TERRELL HILLS. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

That’s a great story. In 1988 a lady called me from Terrell Hills (I had been living there since 1969). She asked me, “Do you have an alley behind your house?” I said, “Yes,” and she said, “You should be on the City Council.” At the time, City Council was getting ready to close all the alleys and move trash pickup to the front yards. I loved our alley, and so did others.

So I ran for Place 1—and I beat the incumbent, an attorney and a real nice guy, who didn’t have an alley. I’ve been on Council ever since. We have about 52 miles of alleys in the community. Twenty-five are open and have usable alley space. No one has tried closing any of the alleys since 1988.

WHY DID YOU KEEP RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL?

After I won in 1988, I ran again the next year, and the same guy ran again and I beat him worse than before. He never ran again, and I’ve been on Council ever since. I don’t mind doing it. It’s not any trouble.
People in Terrell Hills are so nice. There are no real issues except the occasional stray dog.
By the way, people think we get paid, but we don’t. It’s really a volunteer position.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT SERVING ON COUNCIL?

Over the years I’ve been the one who goes out and talks to residents who have complaints. I love people. I enjoy talking with people, and I like helping them solve problems they may have with the city.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was born in San Antonio on July 9, 1937, at Santa Rosa Hospital in the same room in which my mom was born, delivered by the same doctor who delivered her.

EDUCATION?

I graduated from San Antonio Academy, then high school at TMI. I went to Duke University for two years after high school. But my mom and dad divorced, so I came back to San Antonio and went to Trinity University, where I majored in business. I graduated in 1960 and joined the U.S. Army Engineers as a paratrooper and aviator. I flew for the Army Reserves and saw a lot of Texas from the air. I also flew in the U.S. Army Air Corps, fixed wing only. I had an opportunity to be trained to fly helicopters but passed on it and left the service. To this day I wish I had stayed in to fly helicopters. But our business was doing so well I could not afford to take off time for the training. I had not planned to be a professional photographer, but then I couldn’t quit doing it. Today, my hobby is flying radio-controlled model helicopters. I always wanted to fly choppers.

YOU’VE MET SO MANY PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS.
DO ANY STAND OUT IN YOUR MIND?

I’ve taken pictures of so many presidents. Of the ones I got to spend time with, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter were wonderful. I was able to talk with them like we were just folks. It’s funny but true, often photographers get no respect. We’re wallpaper. Few people really talk to us about their hobbies and stuff, but Presidents Carter and Reagan did with me.

I also spent a day with Queen Elizabeth II when she came to San Antonio in May 1991. My brother Edwin was a Secret Service Agent. He called me and said the queen was coming to San Antonio. He sent me one of the Secret Service lapel pins for her visit. The pin gave me complete access to her. I had a great time, and I must say other photographers were unhappy that I had such access.

I loved Bob Hope. The first time I met him we were in the men’s room at the San Antonio Country Club. He never stopped telling jokes and funny stories. He was so easy to be around.

BY RON AARON EISENBERG

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