Legendary Aviator Deanie Parrish Dies at 99

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, March 02, 2022 at 06:05 PM ET

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Deanie Parrish speaks at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony on March 10th, 2010. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Deanie Bishop Parrish was a pioneering aviator and a member of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during WWII, where she served as an engineering test pilot, notably flying the challenging Martin B-26 Marauder.
As one of Florida's first female pilots, she also flew with the Civil Air Patrol before joining the WASP program.
Post-war, Parrish dedicated her life to preserving the WASP legacy, co-founding the National WASP WWII Museum and successfully leading the campaign to award the WASPs the Congressional Gold Medal.

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Deanie Bishop Parrish, Women’s Airforce Service Pilots class of 44-W-4 passed away in her home in Waco, Texas, on February 24, the day before her 100th birthday.

She was born Marie Odean Bishop on February 25, 1922, in Defuniak Springs, Florida. Known as Odean, she spent most of her childhood in Avon Park, Florida. In 1939, she graduated from Avon Park High School as valedictorian.