Mr. Gedric Paschall

Mr. Gedric Boyd Paschall, age 88, of Murray, Kentucky passed away, Friday, February 7, 2025, at the Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Murray, Kentucky. 

Mr. Paschall was born on February 6, 1937, in Calloway County, Kentucky to the late Sylvester Paschall and Mary Kathleen (Boyd) Paschall. He retired from the Bank of Murray as the head of the loan department and served as vice president. Mr. Paschall was a member of the Sinking Springs Baptist Church, where he served as Treasurer and taught Sunday School on occasion. 

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Martha Nance and Karen Milby; as well as his in-laws, James Oralee Elkins and Rubie Elkins. 

Survivors include his wife, Norma Lee (Elkins) Paschall of Murray, Kentucky; they married on December 22, 1962 at Northside Baptist Church in Almo, Kentucky; one son, Stan Paschall and wife Michelle of Almo, Kentucky; one daughter, Stacey Mills and husband Brian of Almo, Kentucky; one sister, Mary Belle Mays and husband Ron of Mayfield, Kentucky; one brother, Kendred Paschall and wife Tammy of Murray, Kentucky; one sister-in-law, Glenda Chrisman of Elizabethtown, Kentucky; three grandchildren, Heatherly Benedict and husband Austin of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Bryce Mills of Murray, Kentucky, and Abigail Case and husband Nolan of Paducah, Kentucky; as well as one great grandchild, Grayson Thomas Mills of Murray, Kentucky.

Enjoying life on a farm and running track in high school, his future plans abruptly changed his junior year, as he became stricken with polio. Refusing to partake of iron lung therapy in Vanderbilt Medical Center, he determined to push himself to breathe on his own to strengthen and train his lungs, with his mother providing home leg massage therapy in the hopes of being able to later walk without assistance, a factor he later attributed to only needing a half-leg brace to walk during his prime years.

A 1956 graduate of the Calloway County School System, President of the Hazel Class of 1956, then graduating from Murray State College in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science, he there met and, at Northside Baptist Church in Almo, then married his sweetheart Norma, a commitment lasting over 62 years until his death. After graduation, he attended two semesters of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville working on his Masters, but, as he described later, George Hart, President of the Bank of Murray, “took a chance on me” and hired him out of school as a teller. Soon afterwards, he obtained inclusion in the 1967 edition of Outstanding Personalities of the South, the 1969 Community Leader of America Award, and the 1970 edition of Outstanding Young Men of America. He then continued his professional education at the University of Kentucky in the 1969 session of the Kentucky School of Banking, also obtaining a Certificate of Leadership through the UK College of Agriculture’s Extension Service, eventually becoming President of the Bank Administration Institute of the Western Kentucky Chapter in 1979-80. He continued working his way up through the ranks at the Bank of Murray, retiring there as Vice President and head of the Installment Loan Department.

Other notable contributions to our community include President of the Murray-Calloway County Jaycees 1965-66, Chairman of the Murray-Calloway Co. Jaycee Fair 1971-72, and serving as a Senator of Jaycees International 1975.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 15, 2025, at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services with Bro. Brett Miles officiating. Burial will follow at Sinking Spring Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 15, 2025, at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Active pallbearers will be Keith Nance, Eric Nance, Jeremy Boyd, Bryce Mills, Austin Benedict, Nolan Case, Austin Nance, and Michael Milby. 

Expressions of sympathy can be made to the American Lung Association, Donation Processing Center, PO Box 70360, Philadelphia, PA 19176-0360

Online condolences can be made at, www.jhchurchill.com