Lena Bender Parsons

After college and service in the U.S. Air Force, Parsons joined Southwestern Bell as a communications representative in Abilene, Texas, in 1959.He was named assistant vice president-directory for Southwestern Bell Telephone in 1976 and was vice president-directory at the time of divestiture in 1984.Parsons was then named president and CEO of a new separate subsidiary called Southwestern Bell Publications.

Parsons was active in Yellow Pages industry associations and was a founding board member of the YPPA.

Parsons was president and CEO of Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages until his retirement in 1988.He is survived by his wife, Lena Bender Parsons, four adult children, three stepchildren, 10 grandchildren and three brothers.Parsons' first wife, Kathryn Jeanne Brown Parsons, died in 1993.

Parsons was buried July 3 in Ballwin, Missouri.

Week of July 20, 1998

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