This is an opinion column. My brother, Richard Parsons – former CEO of Time Warner and other major corporations – was a singular individual. He possessed a love for fine wine, a shared passion we enjoyed, and a vineyard in Italy only added to his unique character. The internet is filled with tributes and obituaries for this gentle corporate leader, who died Thursday at 76 after a battle with bone cancer. His passing deeply affected many of us who had the privilege of knowing, learning from, and sharing laughter and wine with him.
Dick, as he was known, embodied corporate savvy, grace, and gentleness – a rare combination in the C-suite and beyond. A former Time, Inc. executive aptly described him as someone who “knew how to manage a board and let operators operate.”
I’ll share three stories that illustrate Dick’s essence:
First, in 1997, I invited him to be part of a *Fortune* magazine story, “The New Black Power,” featuring prominent African-American corporate leaders. We called them “The Mentors.” The group included Earl Graves, Ernesta Procope, Lee Archer, and Byron Lewis, with Quincy Jones and Percy Sutton also featured. The story opened with: “If business were an Olympic sport, the people pictured here would be the original Dream team.” Dick, younger than most, wryly commented upon seeing the group photo: “Why you got me in the picture with all these old folks?”
Second, one year Dick invited me to a charity dinner in Atlanta, offering a ride on the Time Warner corporate jet. Calling his office to inquire about departure time, his assistant simply replied, “When Mr. Parsons gets there.” The message was clear: arrive early. I did, becoming the first to board, eliciting a “smart man” from the flight attendant upon my inquiry about Dick’s seat.
Third, Dick was known for his amiability and accessibility, particularly to Black employees at Time Warner. We often shared breakfast in the executive dining room, frequently the only, or only Black, people present. These moments reinforced a lesson I share with young people: act like you belong, wherever you are. Our conversations were light, empowering, and informative. One memorable breakfast involved Dick recounting a story about sitting next to Sophia Loren at the Time 100 event – a whimsical contrast to our early-morning setting atop the Time Warner building.
In 2020, Parsons purchased the Il Palazzone estate in Montalcino, Italy, selling it in 2021. He once quipped to the Hollywood Reporter about the cost, jokingly stating “4 billion lire, or six dollars and forty-eight cents” (actually, about $2 million). He found fulfillment in the tangible creation of his Tuscan wine, a stark contrast to the abstract world of corporate meetings.
My wife and I plan to visit Il Palazzone one day, raising a glass to a man, mentor, and friend; to the singular brother who once owned that magnificent place. Onward, sir.
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*Roy S. Johnson is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Hall of Fame, an Edward R. Murrow Award winner, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. His column appears on AL.com, and digital editions of The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, and Mobile Press-Register. You can reach him at rjohnson@al.com, and follow him at twitter.com/roysj, Instagram@roysjand BlueSky.*