Dr. John Charles Parker

Dr. John C. Parker, 86 of Waco, Texas passed away peacefully on June 6, 2021 and into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He was surrounded by his loving family.

John served over sixty years in service to the Lord through the Baptist Ministry.  He joyfully served churches in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.  In his later years, his greatest personal accomplishments included caring for his son David and his wife Mary.  His priorities included his relationship with Christ, his role as Husband, Father of four children, Grandfather to five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

John was born on September 21, 1934 in Miami, Oklahoma, to George C. and Bertha L. Parker.  He became a Christian at age 12.

John was a member of First Baptist Church, Woodway, Texas.  Visitation will be from 6:00pm – 8:00 pm, Wednesday, June 9 at Grace Gardens Funeral Home.  A memorial service will be 10:30 am, Thursday, June 10 at Ascension Providence Park Chapel.  The family will hold a private graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, Texas following the memorial service.

John earned his Associate of Arts Degree at Northeastern Oklahoma A & M College, his Bachelor of Arts at Oklahoma Baptist University, a Master of Arts in Religious Education from Liberty University, and a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry Degree from Trinity Theological Seminary.

As a minister, John served for over fifty years as a Minister of Music, Minister of Education, Administration, Associate Pastor and Executive Minister. He served ten churches in his career, in six different states, as well as Foreign Missions in Africa. He was also a gifted vocalist. He retired from South Tulsa Baptist Church, Tulsa Oklahoma Associate Pastor in Education, Administration, and Pastoral Ministries Emeritus in 2000. After retirement, he co-founded Church Staffing Solutions, a consulting ministry and church architectural consulting firm with the Baptist General convention of Oklahoma.  In all, John ministered to nearly two hundred churches.  Additionally, he is the author of five books and had just recently authored his autobiography for his family.

John met the love of his life, Mary Sue Parker, at a revival in 1952, and they were married on July 20, 1956.  They were married for sixty-four years at the time of her death in December 2020.  Mary and John had four children, John, David, Paul and Lanora.

John was preceded in death by his parents Mr. and Mrs. George C. Parker, brother, George Ira Parker, sister Deloris Raines, wife, Mary Sue Parker, and son James David Parker. He is survived by his son John Charles Parker, and daughter-in-law Barbara, Tucson, Arizona; son, Paul Adam Parker, and daughter-in-law Landa, Las Colinas, Texas; daughter Lanora Leigh Aucoin and son-in-law Frank, Waco, TX; brother Thomas Joseph Parker, and wife Pat, Omaha, Nebraska; five grandchildren: Adam Ryan Parker, Dallas, TX; Emily Paige Parker Butler and husband John, Suwanee, GA; Bradley Stephen Parker and wife Carolyn, Dallas, TX; Zachery Gordon Parker, Bozeman, MT, and Maxwell Parker Aucoin, Waco, TX.  Additionally, he is survived by three great grandchildren, Lucy Mae Butler, Rhys Stephen Parker, and a yet unknown Parker (expected August 2021!), and numerous relatives and friends.

John and Mary’s son, David, had a traumatic brain injury resulting from a car accident in 1984.  At a time most couples are welcoming an empty nest and dreaming of grandchildren, John and Mary dedicated themselves to help meet the challenges following his accident and dedicated the rest of their lives to David’s care, rehabilitation, and accommodation of his unique needs.  Their tireless efforts allowed David to survive and prosper for thirty-four years before his death in 2018.

After David’s death, John’s sole focus was attending to the needs of his love, Mary, until her death in December 2020.  John rarely missed a day or opportunity to visit Mary at St. Catherine’s.  He wanted only to be near her and hold her hand even though she was not always able to communicate with him.  She was the love of his life and they shared a very special love to which their children were so very blessed to witness.

We will miss John greatly and are happy that he is at peace and once again reunited with Mary and David.  We are also grateful for the many things he left us with.  He loved unconditionally and lived a life of service to God and others, and his pursuit of worthy objectives will continue to inspire us for the rest of our lives.  We consider ourselves exceptionally fortunate and blessed to be the family of Dr. John C. Parker.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Mission Dignity, Alzheimer’s Foundation, or the National Head Injury Foundation.

Registry for John Parker