Park volunteer takes own life in house explosion

The Kalispell man who died in a house explosion at 2:15 a.m. on Friday, March 9, had ties to Glacier National Park as a volunteer with the Glacier National Park Associates, a nonprofit volunteer group that renovates historic structures and other buildings in the Park, such as fire lookouts and ranger stations.

John Parsons, 57, served as a member of GNPA’s board of directors for 10 years and was in charge of summer projects in the park.

“He spent hundreds of hours dedicated to volunteering,” GNPA president Jim Swab said. “He was a great hiker, had a great sense of humor and was a pleasure to be around.”

Swab said Parsons had attended GNPA’s board meeting two days before the explosion and told the board he no longer would be able to head up the group’s work projects.

On the day of the explosion, GNPA received a donation of $1,400 from Parsons with a note saying he hoped his departure “wouldn’t cause us undo stress,” Swab said. The board plans to set up a John Parsons Memorial Fund for projects not funded by the National Park Service.

The explosion and fire that reduced Parsons’ Kalispell home to rubble were intentionally set by him, a Kalispell Fire Department investigation has concluded.

“Overwhelming evidence” at the scene indicates that Parsons “intentionally caused the incident in an act of suicide,” Kalispell Fire Chief Dave Dedman said in a press release. “Propane cylinders, chemicals, live ammunition and other accelerants had been strategically placed throughout the residence and property to hamper any efforts of public safety personnel to mitigate the incident safely and quickly.”

Dedman said notes posted on the front and rear of the property advised public safety personnel to stay away, but the notes were not seen by emergency personnel until after the explosion and fire. Dedman also said Parsons sent “some personal notifications to family” advising them of his intentions.

In the days leading up to his death, Parsons had given away many of his personal belongings. He turned over all of his Glacier Park photographs on a flash drive to Debra Reeves, of the Glacier National Park Fund, two days before the explosion.

Mary Pat Murphy, a friend of Parsons, said she had lunch with Parsons just two days before the explosion and noticed nothing amiss.

“John Parsons was a bright, intense man of strong opinions,” Murphy said. “The last time I saw John, he told us about his stay with friends in a North Fork Forest Service cabin. He was always up for an outdoor adventure and regularly climbed to the top of Lone Pine near his westside home.”

A memorial service for Parsons is planned for Saturday, April 28, at Lone Pine State Park.