William M Parker

William "Bill" David Parker

Born November 25th 1930, died February 19th 2018. William David "Bill" Parker was born in Seattle, the only child of Solon and Jean Parker. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 50 years, Kathy, and adoring son David. He grew up in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood, where as a boy, he enjoyed running around the neighborhood with a gang of kids. They had fun building model airplanes, playing poker with milk bottle caps and even, "Tackle football on the Bryant school lawn until the janitor chased us off." He spent his Saturdays watching movies at the Neptune Theatre where he developed a powerful love of films that he passed on to his family. In the summers his family made the harrowing drive over old Blewett Pass to a cabin on Lake Chelan, He recalled, "filling the radiator from creeks and trying not to think of the sheer drops along the switchbacks."

Starting in 1945 Bill attended Roosevelt High where he trained on the obstacle courses his freshman year in preparation to be drafted into the army, but luckily the war ended that year. Then onto the University Of Washington where he developed a keen interest in folk music, "I was so fascinated by Burl Ives after seeing him play in 1949 that I went to a shop on First Ave and bought a guitar for $20. Oh sure, I was studying business, but folk songs were my passion." His interest in music and singing led him to MRA, an international volunteer group, whose aim was the coming together of diverse people of different cultures and ideas, in part, through music.

After graduation he began volunteer work with MRA full-time. In 1958, he helped produce and sang in the musical, 'The Crowning Experience', a show about the life of revered black educator, Mary Mcleod Bethune, with legendary African- American singer, Muriel Smith in the lead role. He wrote, "Atlanta in 1958 was a totally segregated city racially. You have heard stories of what life was like for black Americans in those days- that's how it was. To a degree our show broke the color bar. Black people were allowed to come in the front door of the theater and sit on one side with a rope down the middle dividing them from the white audience. Until that show black people had to come in the alley door and go up to the top balcony. It was hard to do the show under those conditions but it was progress of a kind." During the show's run he met Dr. Martin Luther King. While taking Muriel Smith to the Atlanta airport they noticed a large group of young well- dressed African American men crowded around one of the gates and Muriel wondered if Martin Luther King was arriving. "As I watched the crowd I failed to notice a short black man walking toward us. He had recognized Muriel and had heard about our show in Atlanta. Then Muriel said, 'and this is Bill Parker', and there was King extending his hand! He stood chatting for a few minutes and went on his way. I couldn't have realized that this great man would one day have a national holiday named for him!"

Later Bill worked with "Up with People" where he met his soon-to-be wife, Kathy. In 1971 Bill and Kathy settled in the Magnolia area of Seattle and had son David. The couple spent 50 happy years of marriage together. His working career included Boeing, Evans Engine and Graham and Dunn. He faithfully supported Kathy's love of making collage art. He served as president of Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound and the Magnolia Chorale and spent over 20 years in each. He still displayed his excellent baritone voice at the age of 87 every Sunday, at the Our Lady of Fatima Church in Magnolia.

His gentle and kind decency and wit will be missed terribly and long- remembered by his family and legion of friends

"Good- night sweet prince; and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest" .... Wm. Shakespeare

Funeral Mass will be held
Friday, March 2nd at 10:00 am at
Our Lady of Fatima Church
3218 W Barrett St, Seattle 98199.

Inurnment, Calvary Cemetery

Hoffner Fisher & Harvey
Guestbook at harveyfuneral.com

To send a flower arrangement in memory of
William "Bill" David Parker, please click here to visit our sympathy store.