In not much more than the past month, we have lost two truly great leaders in EMS products. They both shared many personality traits and leadership skills.
They both loved the industry and the EMS providers in the field. What made them both so special was their ability to earn enormous loyalty from their employees and business partners.
Jane E Parr was the wife of Tom Parr, Sr. and President of both Parr Emergency and EM Innovations. Parr Emergency was a full line distributor of EMS products based outside of Columbus in Galloway, Ohio. For more than 25 years, Parr Emergency was one of the top companies in the industry.
From her obituary:
“Jane E. Parr, age 67, of Galloway, passed away Thursday, January 26, 2012, surrounded by her loving family. She was a member of St. John Lutheran Church and she was an owner of Parr Emergency Product Sales Inc., a family business, for 26 years (1974 - 2000) and most recently involved in several other family business ventures.
Jane was a very Courageous Woman through both her breast and ovarian cancer. She was preceded in death by her parents Walter and Evelyn Kropp.
Survivors include her husband, Thomas Parr; daughter, Connie Lewis; son, Thomas A. (Sheri) Parr; grandchildren, Clayton and Grant Lewis, Cory, Amber and Brandon Parr; sister, Carol Funk; brother, Ralph Kropp; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and many dear friends.”
This is an understated obit, but it suits Jane’s style. In the years I knew and worked for her, I never heard her raise her voice or utter a single mean word from her mouth. She was kind, warm, and loving to everyone, even her competitors.
By placing the wellbeing of her employees first, she earned enormous loyalty. If an organ transplant could have saved her life, the line of potential donors waiting to be tested would have been a mile long.
Her smile and laugh could light up a room without bulbs. She will be sorely missed.
The other great industry leader who recently passed away was Sam L Say. Sam founded and designed the SSCOR product line of portable suction machines.
Sam was another genuine and generous person. He succeeded in designing and producing top quality devices, believing that high quality at fair prices was a successful business strategy.
His warm smile and kind demeanor made him a welcome partner to EMS product distributors and provider agencies alike. He was a lot like Jane Parr; kind, generous, without a trace of guile or meanness.
From Sam’s obituary:
“Sam L. Say, founder of SSCOR, Inc. passed away on December 7, 2011, at age 92. Sam developed the S-SCORT line of EMS aspirators, as well as the SSCOR Quickdraw and SSCOR/board line of onboard suction for ambulances.
Sam remained actively involved at SSCOR until five years ago and maintained a strong interest in SSCOR’s activities since that time. He admired greatly the wonderful and dedicated caregivers in EMS and took great pleasure in providing better tools for lifesavers.
He is responsible for many innovations adapting effective medical aspiration for field use. He will be missed by family and colleagues alike.”
These two EMS industry leaders will not easily be replaced. I will miss them both and wish I could be as kind and loving to those around me. They both made it look easy.
