Woodrow W. Parker

Early Monday morning on March 17, 2014, WOODROW WILSON PARKER departed this life to be with the Lord, his wife Gloria, and the rest of his family. Woodrow, son of the late Samuel and Ollie Scott Parker, was born on December 6, 1917, in King and Queen County, VA and was the fifth of ten children. He was pre–deceased by his sisters Fannie, Daisy, and Betty, and his brothers Alvin, Samuel, Patrick, Coleman, and Thomas. He received Jesus Christ at an early age and was baptized in Stevensville, VA., where he attended Wayland Baptist Church. He always referred to God as the “Good Lord”. He met and married his loving and devoted wife of sixty years, Gloria Reynolds Parker. This union was blessed with three children: Steven, Deborah and Cynthia. He attended Union Baptist Church in Baltimore. Parker, as he was fondly called by his wife, received his education in the public school system of King and Queen County of Virginia. In 1937, he moved to Baltimore and joined the Merchant Marines. He stayed in the Merchant Marines until 1941 and went to work for the B&O Railroad as a porter. He returned to the Merchant Marines and stayed another two years. After serving in the Merchant Marines, he worked several odd jobs. In 1952, he went to work for the Western Maryland Railroad, now CSX, as a chauffeur for the president of the company. During his tenure at the Western Maryland Railroad, he was asked to be a chauffeur for two celebrities, Frank Fontaine (Jackie Gleason’s sidekick) and Jim Nabors (better known as Goober). Parker also worked part time in the evenings with our Uncle Bill’s catering company. He retired from the Western Maryland Railroad in 1981. This was short lived as Parker loved to work. He went on to work for By Carlton & Company, a catering service, sometimes working two or three jobs a day, if he could. He finally stopped working at the age of 91. He loved to work as he enjoyed being able to provide for his family and giving a little extra on birthdays and holidays and he loved having money in his pocket. He liked to watch baseball. He would always talk about the old Brooklyn Dodgers and he became an avid New York Yankees fan. He was meticulous when it came to dressing. He was one who was a stickler for wanting to be on time for everything. He would prepare the night before, not the day of, when it came to being on time the next day; whether it be for work, church, doctor’s appointment, etc. He also enjoyed family gatherings, the bigger the better. Parker leaves to cherish his memory: his three children, Steve (Kellye), Deborah, Cynthia (Brian); six grandchildren, Sherrell Parker, Steven J. Parker, Jr., Alexander McNeely, Brianna Kirk, Emory Parker, and Alexis Anthony; three great-grandchildren, Breshe Barton, Steven J. Parker III, and Zipporah Parker; brother, Warren Parker of Warsaw, VA; sister-in- law, Beverly (Bobbie) Bailey; two brothers-in-law, Spurgeon Reynolds, Jr., Robert Gaines of Norfolk, VA; two stepsisters: Irene Riles-Jordan of West Haven, CT and Dorothy Veney of Warsaw, VA; honorary daughter, Gloria Parker; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and family

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Woodrow W. Parker

December 6, 1917 - March 17, 2014