By Bonita Wilborn
The DeKalb County School System as well as towns of Sylvania and Ider recently lost one of their own in Nathan Parham. Coach Parham, as he was known to many, was a 1996 graduate of Ider High School. He had taught Science at Ider High School, Sylvania High School, and Northeast Alabama Community College for the past 21 years. He was an accomplished musician who enjoyed playing and singing many different genres of music, and was a member of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church where he often shared his musical talents in worship.
The following comments were taken from various Facebook posts:
• DeKalb County Alabama Schools – “DeKalb County Schools mourns the loss of a beloved teacher, Nathan Parham. He was a dedicated and inspiring educator that made a positive impact on the lives of the students that he taught and the co-workers that he worked with. He will be missed tremendously. Please keep the Parham family in your thoughts and prayers.”
• Coley Venable – “My heart is so broken. I was one of his students for 2 years straight. I can’t believe it. He helped me though everything, school work and tough times. I could just walk in his classroom and start a conversation with him when he didn’t have kids with him. I will forever remember the conversations and how he gets us through the days. I’ll miss seeing him in the hallways waiting on people to walk around the corner just to say hello to them even if it was a student or a teacher. I will forever miss him and The Ram Nation will forever miss him too. We love you forever Nathan Parham. You have put something special in my life just by being my teacher. You was my favorite teacher. You’re an amazing person and teacher.”
• Miranda McCord McElhaney – “My heart is so broken for his family mainly, but also his coworkers all of them from both schools, his student past and present. I know my two loved him. He was a wonderful guy to know.”
• Dana Allen-Pope – “My daughter spoke very highly of Coach Parham and how nice he was. Very sorry for his loss to the school staff, students, and especially his family. Our hearts and prayers go out to them.”
• Plainview High School – “In honor of our fellow DeKalb County Schools educator and friend, Mr. Nathan Parham, Plainview School will be selling memorial bracelets. All proceeds will be donated to Mr. Parham’s family. Bracelets will be $5 each and will be available to order in your child’s homeroom class or the elementary counselor’s office. The bracelets were previously ordered to show Nathan Parham support through his treatment. However, now we will be selling them to show his family support from Plainview School.”
• Tyler Dalton – “If you’re the praying type please pray for the communities of Ider and Sylvania and both schools, as we have lost a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), a legend of a teacher and Coach, and just all around a great person who would give the shirt off his back to help someone who needed it, I couldn’t imagine the number of students, former students, former teachers, and faculty that he has helped along the way!! Please pray for his wife, Misty Parham, and their two boys, and their families. He was definitely one of my favorite people and teachers through my high school years and still today has taught us many life lessons and skills along the way. I can’t imagine what is going on up there in Heaven right now. He’s Flying Without An Airplane right now for one, two He’s probably talking Coaching strategies with a few legendary Coaches such as, Coach Bear Bryant and Coach Mike Leach, three He’s probably shredding some music with some legendary names such as Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Alabama’s very own, Jeff Cook. In closing, We’re definitely going to feel the void of losing such a great Teacher, Coach, Coworker, Community leader, Church leader, Singer, Husband, Father, Son, Brother, Brother-In-Christ, but oh what a day that’ll be when we all get to cross over to the other side and all be together again.”
Mr. Nathan Daniel Parham, age 44, of Sylvania, passed away Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at Huntsville Hospital. Funeral services were held on Sunday, January 8, 2023, at 2:00 PM from Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, with Brother Steve Lea and Brother Rusty Higdon officiating. Burial followed in Chestnut Grove Baptist Cemetery.
Mr. Parham is survived by: Wife of 23 years – Misty Rains Parham. Sons – Aiden Daniel Parham and Colin Rains Parham. Parents – Vernon and Deborah Parham. Sister – Kelly (Brandon) Porter. Grandfather – Leedell Higdon. Nephews – Sawyer Porter, Ezra Porter, and Lincoln Porter. Parents-In-Law – Glenn and Pam Rains. Several Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.
He was preceded in death by: Grandparents – Marion and Bonnie Parham and Jan Higdon.