Victor Parachin
1946 - 2025
Victor Parachin was a husband, father, athlete, minister, author, teacher and friend. If you met him, you were unlikely to forget him, just as he was unlikely to forget you.
For nearly 45 years he was married to Janet W Parachin. They were partners in everything—raising their children, moving across the country, and working together in two businesses, Tulsa Yoga Meditation Center and Yoga Spirit Academy. Janet couldn’t have asked for a better person to share love, life and friendship for these many years.
Victor was primary parent to their three children while Janet was a chaplain in the U.S. Navy and completing her PhD. As a Navy spouse he moved three young children from Chicago to Virginia Beach, Virginia! He coached roller hockey and ice hockey teams and offered sage advice to his children. His love for his children was deep, lasting and forgiving.
Most people in town recognized him as the “Tulsa runner,” a moniker he received from taking long runs each day. He started running as a young man and went on to complete many marathons throughout the country. He took up roller-blading in California and ice speed skating in Tulsa. Shout out to all of his friends in Tulsa’s ice skating community! His desire to be strong and physically fit drew him to bike riding, weight training, Pilates and yoga. He was certified to teach both mat Pilates and yoga.
Victor’s first career was as a minister. Ordained in the Free Methodist Church in Canada, he moved to the United States to serve his first church in the Chicago area. This is where he met his future wife Janet, a progressive woman who was also called to ministry. They decided to change denominations and were welcomed into the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Victor served Disciples churches in Chicago, Washington DC area, several interim ministries in the Los Angelos area and Tulsa, and many guest talks in the pulpit of All Souls Church. His talks were profound and inspiring as he drew from a variety of sources and experiences.
In the late 1980’s Victor decided to make a career change and become a writer. It took a few months of writing and submitting articles, but when he sold his first article to the Chicago Tribune he never looked back. Over the past 40 years he has written thousands of articles and dozens of books. His first book Grief Relief established him as a grief specialist and, for many years, he wrote a monthly newsletter that was distributed by funeral homes throughout the country. For the past 20 years, he has written extensively about Eastern spirituality.
With much experience as a writer and preacher, he was a natural to take up teaching at our family businesses Yoga Spirit Academy and Tulsa Yoga Meditation Center. Hundreds of students joined him for meditation sessions of chanting OM accompanied by shruti box and alternate nostril breathing. He shared meaningful and practical dharma talks that brought joy and encouragement to all who attended. He offered Buddhist meditation retreats several times a year and was a beloved teacher at Texas Yoga Retreat in Austin for many years.
Victor was a friend to everyone he met. He loved to ask a lot of questions to better understand where someone came from and where they were going in life. Friends were greeted with his booming voice calling out their name and a big, strong hug that expressed how happy he was to see them.
Victor suffered great physical pain at the end of his life and it is a mercy that he is now free. Even in his last days, he was teaching us all how to live while dying. He was truly a great spiritual soul and his absence will be felt by many.
Victor is survived by his life partner and spouse, Janet; daughter Kristin, her spouse Justin, and their children Aaron, Victor and Charles; son Geoffrey; son Michael; brother Alex and sister Lana, many students and friends. A memorial service will be held at All Souls Church in Tulsa in the next couple of months. Please make memorial donations to the HOW Foundation in Tulsa, Seasons Hospice in Tulsa, and All Souls Church in Tulsa.