Set Up 13 y.o. Sam For A Future After His Father Passed Away

In the early hours of Monday, April 1st, 2024, our lives shattered and were forever changed, when Nicholas “Nick” Evan Parcell was taken from this world very unexpectedly. A beloved father, son, brother, uncle, nephew, boyfriend, and friend; Nick left behind SO many people (and pets) who love him, look up to him, and are inspired by him.

In 2010, Nick was blessed with a son, Samson, who he loved dearly. He was a family man... a fun, loyal and doting father, and he took his influence on Sam’s life seriously. Nick was a man made for the outdoors... he loved hunting, fishing, hiking, and being outside in nature with all animals. He and Sam bonded over their shared love for nature and the outdoors, and because of this, they had a very close-knit father-son relationship. Nick loved spending his free time with Sam; showing him new things, taking him fishing, playing catch with a football, going on many Florida and Ozarks family vacations together, summer days spent riding roller coasters, or just hanging out enjoying each other’s company. Being Sam’s dad was genuinely one of Nick’s proudest accomplishments, and they were scheduled to go on a father/son fishing trip this weekend. Now, Nick lives on through Sam, and he is developing into a spitting image of his father -- even inheriting Nick’s impeccable art abilities.

At 13 years-old, Sam is entering his most developmental years, while suddenly being thrust into a whole new reality of what life looks like now. Entering puberty, heading into high school soon, just learning how to identify and process his emotions -- and now he has to grapple with the reality of tragically losing his father, one of the most important people to him. These next 5-10 years will hands down be the most influential years of the rest of his life, and he undoubtedly has a very long road ahead of him.

With Nick’s passing, Sam’s mother (Veronica Lang), will absorb all of the costs of child care that she was previously splitting with Nick, not to mention Sam will need years of therapy. At the moment, the entire family is shattered and just trying to wade through the grief of this week, and the reality of all of the unexpected expenses that will pop up down the road have not even set in yet.

For that reason, friends of the Parcell family have set up this GoFundMe with Sam Parcell as the direct beneficiary, in hopes that we can raise enough to help Veronica and him for the next 5-10 years to come. We know money doesn’t make this tragedy any better or magically bring Nick back, but at the very least it will allow Sam to focus solely on grieving (and getting to enjoy whats left of his childhood) instead of stressing over all the “what ifs” of the future. Our goal is to raise enough money that Sam can be set up for a successful future, whether it’s buy a car when he’s legal to drive, or go to college when he turns 18, or even just have enough money to put a down payment on a house. Sam won’t fully comprehend and grasp the reality of his “new normal” until he’s well into his 20’s, and our hope is that by then, he will have had enough resources (and the finances to pay for them) that he can get into the best therapies or the best college if he wants to, and that he is a normal, healthy young adult in his 20’s. His life has just been twisted and turned completely upside down, and we just want him to have a fighting chance of this situation not negatively defining the rest of his life.

We know Nick is looking down on Sam right now, wishing more than ever that he was Earth-side with him, but we take comfort in knowing that Sam has the BEST guardian angel watching over him. It is now up to us and our community, our “village”, to be there for Sam, to be there for Veronica, and to be there for Nick.

In lieu of flowers, we request that donations be made to go towards Sam. Any amount will make a massive impact. Please consider donating, sharing with friends, and please keep the entire extended Parcell family in your prayers. They are felt and appreciated.

A celebration of Nick’s life will be held with a visitation from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Cullen Funeral Home, 612 W. Foxwood Dr. Raymore, Missouri 64083 on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

His obituary can be found here: Click