December 28, 1948 – April 7, 2019: James Marion Parker, 70, passed away peacefully on April 7,2019 at the Wellstar Community Hospice, surrounded by loving friends and familymembers.
Jim, as he was known his whole life, was born in Tampa,Florida on December 28th, 1948 to Florence Adelaide (Pegram) andJohn L. Parker, Sr., who predecease him.
He grew up primarily in Orlando, FL and attended Fern CreekElementary, Howard Junior High and Edgewater High Schools. He also was proud ofhaving attended tiny Nenana High Schoolin Nenana, Alaska, where his family lived briefly. After retirement from themilitary he lived primarily in Acworth, GA
He is survived by brothers John L. Parker, Jr., of HighSprings, FL and Bar Harbor, ME; Jerry A. Parker (Annie) of Fort White, FL;Jeffrey L, Parker of Woodstock, GA; niece Danielle Parker and grandniece KenleeWise, both of Fort Walton Beach, FL, and nephew James Parker of Thomasville,GA. Also surviving are beloved stepson Samuel Oglesby (Talitha);step grandchildren Tess, Rayna, Gabrielle, and Oliver Alexander Oglesby, all ofMcLean, VA; uncles Lee Roy (Gloria) and Neal (Mary) Pegram, both of Reidsville,NC; aunt Dorothy Comer of Jefferson, GA; beloved cousin John Comer, andnumerous Pegram and Parker cousins in and around the Reidsville, NC andAnderson, SC areas.
Jim was a warrior.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1969 at the height of theVietnam conflict and saw a great deal of combat during his three year tour ofduty as a LOACH helicopter door gunner. After a short stint of civilian life,he rejoined the Army in July, 1977 and served as a sniper, primarily in theRepublic of Panama, and later as a security specialist and military policemanin Germany. He retired as a staff sergeant in 1995.
Jim was awarded the Bronze Star; the Purple Heart with onebronze oak leaf cluster; the Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oakleaf clusters; the Air Medal with numeral 13; the Army Commendation Medal withthree bronze oak leaf clusters; the Army achievement Medal with four bronze oakleaf clusters; the Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars, andnumerous other awards and commendations..
Jim doted on his late mother, Flo, calling her nearly everyday up until her death in December of 2017. He enjoyed hunting, sailing, kayaking, camping, fishing and otheroutdoor activities with friends and family members. Before infirmities began toslow him down a bit, he took several multi-day kayaking/camping trips down theSuwannee River, sailed on Lake Altoona, went on hunting expeditions withyounger brother Jerry, and especially enjoyed spending time with his youngestbrother Jeffrey, who lived nearby.
His older brotherJohn, a novelist, wrote a chapter about one of Jim’s combat experiences in thenovel Again to Carthage, published in 2007.
