Mrs. Vernita A. Parris, a Willow Grove resident and longtime special education teacher for the Abington School District, passed away on Sunday, September 27. She was 81.

A Panamanian native, Mrs. Parris attended the Moore College of Art and designed wedding gowns for Alfred Angelo Bridal before earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology and later, a master’s in education from Arcadia University (formerly Beaver College), her obituary said. 

She began her career in teaching as a reading specialist and later as an elementary special education teacher for the Abington School District.

“For 30 years, Vernita fostered a love of learning in each of her students, deftly adapting to their unique needs,” her obituary said.

Relatives and friends are invited to Vernita’s Life Celebration at the Craft-Givnish Funeral Home, 1801 Old York Rd. Abington, PA 19001, on Friday, October 2, 2026, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and again at the funeral home on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. followed by her Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. David’s Church, 316 Easton Rd. Willow Grove, PA 19090. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

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