Birth Date: 06/08/1941
Deceased Date: 05/04/2018
Smithfield – Walton D. Parker, Jr., I am leaving now after 76 years and will go live with God. I am not afraid as it will be a better life with those I knew before as they will be there.
I entered this world on June 8th, 1941 in early morning. My mother and father divorced when I was one year old and I lived and was reared by my grandmother, Mary Bowen and grandfather Frank Bowen – lucky me!!
I attended Smithfield School on Third Street and graduated in 1959. I attended Louisburg College on full basketball scholarship. After graduating, I transferred to Atlantic Christian College (now Barton) in Wilson, NC and graduated in 1964.
Joan Strickland and I married in 1963 and had three wonderful children, Mary Melissa, Mollie Joan, and Walton, III. Joan and I divorced and she raised our children in a Christian life – she did a wonderful job. I later married Lois Jones and we were together for 32 wonderful years. Her son, Doug, lived with us until he graduated from NC State University. Lois passed in 2009.
In 2013 I married Becky Pittman. We divorced in 2016. I am thankful to Becky for looking out for me for the three long years I was so sick with cancer. We are still very close. I had radiation and chemotherapy treatments throughout that time.
Fortunately, God shined His light on me and now I am cancer free. I thank Doug and the so many others for taking me to and from Chapel Hill to the doctor.
Joan lives in Florida with Mollie. Melissa lives in Smithfield. Walt lives in Cary. Doug lives in Smithfield. I thank God for making me well and will leave you to go live with Him. I have had a pretty good run.
Melissa and Greg are blessed with Mary Catherine Allen, her husband Brandon and their baby daughter Claire and Kaylie and Josh Dowless who were married last Saturday. Mollie and Rob are blessed with Courtney and Robby. Walt is blessed with Davis and Alexa. Davis shares my name and my birthday! God is good! Walt and his fiancé Marie will marry in 2019. Doug and Allison are blessed by their son Wade. I would also like to thank my cousins and their families, Bobby, Tina, Wendy, Rose, Lib, and Andy. And finally, my sweet golden lab Sugar was always by my side. I loved and adored her and she loved and adored me with all her heart. I am thankful to Mollie and her family for allowing Sugar to join their family! I know my girl will be forever happy!
A memorial service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Saturday in Centenary United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends from 10:00 – 10:55 just prior to the service in Wesley Hall.
In lieu of flowers American Heart Association, www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Giving/, American Cancer Association, https://www.cancer.org/donate, American Diabetes Association, http://www.diabetes.org/donate/.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at parrishfh.com.
