Church tries to rally assistance for widow of Medina man, 28
Elliott Parfitt died unexpectedly on May 27
Elliott Parffit
MEDINA – Elliott Parfitt left no doubt about his work ethic, his love for others and commitment to his family and to God, his pastor said today.
Parfitt, 28, died unexpectedly on May 27. That day he went to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing. About four hours after he was admitted, he died from aortic dissection.
“It was very unexpected, very sudden,” said Steven Pawley, pastor of the Antioch Anabaptist Church in Shelby Center.
Two days after Parfitt’s death, his wife Hannah gave birth to their second child, a daughter Rachel. The couple also has a son, Gideon, who is 1.
Parfitt was a leader at the church (which is located behind the fire hall.) He led the church as the song leader and played the cello, guitar and dulcimer.
“He was gifted singing and with playing instruments,” Pawley said. “He just really enjoyed that. He was a master of many things.”
Parfitt travelled on several mission trips to share the Gospel message, twice going to Romania, Honduras and Africa. He earned a private pilot license so that he could someday be a bush pilot for missionaries in remote places.
He ran his own business – All Things Fixed, LLC – and remodeled local homes, and also repaired tractors, farm trailers and personal automobiles.
He was one of eight siblings. His father, Ken Parfitt, was tragically killed on Dec. 15, 2010 after he was struck by a vehicle on I-390 near Avon. He was helping a motorist in distress.
Elliott was 21 when his father was killed. Elliott has been an active member of the Antioch Anabaptist Church for about nine years, the church pastor said.
The church welcomes the community to assist Elliott’s family during this difficult time. Hannah Parfitt is a private person who is used to helping others, Pawley said.
“Hannah’s faith in the Lord Jesus is both strong and inspiring,” Pawley said. “She doesn’t want to draw any attention to herself.”
The church didn’t want to do a high-profile GoFundMe page for Hannah and her children, but has instead created a web page with an address where people can send money to Hannah directly.
Click here for more information.
