Robert Parker

Mr. Robert W. Parker, a longtime resident of McKenzie and Paris, passed away peacefully on September 13, 2015. He is survived by his wife of over six decades, Mrs. Charleene Miller Parker of McKenzie; son, Colonel Joe Robert Parker, U.S. Army, Retired, (Monika), Alexandria, VA; two grandsons, Jonathan Austin Parker (Andi) and Jason Christopher Parker (Erin) of Nashville, TN; and two great granddaughters, Madilyn and Morgan Parker, of Nashville. He was preceded in death by his youngest son Alan Jeffery, Parker of Fort Myers, FL. He also leaves behind a sister-in-law, Mary Lou Barksdale; three nieces, Jennifer Waldrup, Barbara Brewer, and Lisa McDowell and their families; and three nephews, Billy Barksdale, Mark Barksdale, and Kenneth Miller and their families. Mr. Parker was well known in West Tennessee as a wildlife officer with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency where he served for over 27 years. Even after retirement, Mr. Parker continued to promote wildlife conservation and took great pride in his role as a wildlife conservationist and advocate of hunter safety. In 1984, Mr. Parker embarked on a second career as a court officer with the Henry County Court system where he served for many years as an officer in both the Chancery and Circuit Courts. Mr. Parker was a charter member of the Kentucky Lake Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge Number 17, where he served for over 52 years, with many of those years as the FOP Lodge Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. Parker was a 32d Degree Mason and he and his wife were longtime members of the First Baptist Church of Paris. Mr. Parker was a veteran of World War II; he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 and served for the duration of the war. After the war, he continued to serve as an officer in the Tennessee National Guard and later in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Services will be held at Brummitt-McKenzie Funeral Home on Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 2:00 P,M, followed by burial at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Visitation will start at 5:00p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home and it will begin at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday.