Malia Parnell Huff

Malia Parnell Huff, 81, a longtime Dunwoody, Georgia resident, died peacefully on August 22, 2026, from cancer with her family by her bedside.

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Malia was the eldest of three daughters born to Lillie Mae and John Spencer Parnell. Her childhood centered around home, church, and school activities, where she attended Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, gospel meetings, and singings. Her elementary school activities included performing in several plays for the student body every Friday. She also played the violin from elementary school through high school, earning acceptance into both the Tennessee All-State Orchestra and the Nashville City Orchestra.
    
She graduated in 1962 from Cohn High School in Nashville and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Lipscomb University in 1966, briefly teaching second grade at Lipscomb Elementary. She met her husband, Don, in June 1962, which sparked a four-year, long-distance romance. They married in June 1966. After teaching for a few months in the City of Atlanta, they relocated to Birmingham, where she taught in the Jefferson County school system.
    
During Don’s service in the U.S. Army, they lived in Hungerford, England, and Würzburg, Germany, where Malia taught in the Department of Defense elementary school. They traveled extensively during their two years in Würzburg and attended the local Church of Christ, where they established lifelong friendships.

Their daughters, Wendy and Julie, were born in 1971 and 1972. Malia loved staying home with them until they started school. She then returned to education, earning a master’s in education from Georgia State University in 1983. She taught third grade in Gwinnett County at Peachtree Elementary and Simpson Elementary schools for 26 years before retiring in 2005.

When asked about the secret to a long and loving marriage, Malia’s response was, “Have a strong faith in God and never lose your sense of humor no matter what you are going through.” Together, Don and Malia considered her greatest life accomplishment and most immense source of joy to be starting a family, celebrating the births of their daughters, and receiving the blessings of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Malia was deeply involved in her church, teaching Sunday and Wednesday classes for students ranging from three-year-olds to college age and serving as a mentor to women in the recovery ministry. Embodying hospitality, she hosted weekly Bible studies and small group meetings and opened her doors to welcome fourteen families to live in her home over the years. Throughout her life, Malia exemplified the ultimate meaning of love—love for God, her husband, her children, her family, and her country. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, daughter, and friend, Malia is survived by her husband of 60 years, Don Huff. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Spencer Parnell, Lillie Mae Fuller, Stepfather L.J. Fuller and sister Debra Liddle. She will be dearly missed by her family: husband Don Huff, daughters Wendy Martin and Julie Huff; granddaughter Madelyn Stovall and her husband, Brady; great-granddaughter Charlotte Mae; grandsons Mason Martin and Max Martin; and sister Jill Smith and her husband, Jerry.
    
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that Donations be made to His Way Atlanta.

The service will be livestreamed from the church's facebook page - please follow this link: 

East Cobb Church of Christ Facebook Page