Howard Parker

Services for Howard Ingram Parker, 83, of Tyler, will be held on Friday, December 11, 2009, at 11:00 AM at First Baptist Church of Tyler with Rev. B.C. McCoy and Rev. Scott Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in Tyler Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mr. Parker passed away, Tuesday, December 08, 2009 at Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. He was born August 23, 1926 in Caddo Mills to William and Mary Parker. He grew up in Tyler, excelled in football at Tyler High School and won the T.B. Butler award for the most valuable player in 1944. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he married Frances Bass and then continued to play football while attending SMU, where his team won the Southwest Conference in 1948. He went on to play professional football for the Pittsburg Stealers and New York Yankees. After his football career, Mr. Parker and his wife Frances returned to Tyler, and he worked for the furniture store Pope and Turner. Then in the early 60’s he and Pat Chatham opened Parker Chatham Furniture on College St. Later after closing the store, Mr. Parker worked for the First Baptist Church of Tyler as their building superintendent. Mr. Parker was a deacon and volunteer at First Baptist. He was also a Mason with the Shiners’ organization and was grateful for their help with his daughter Deborah, who had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Mr. Parker is survived by his loving family including daughter, Sharon Chappell and husband Harmon of Tyler; son Curtis Parker of Tyler; sister, Mary Nell Medlock of Giddings; grandchildren Sesalie Till and husband Billy of Malakoff, Cory Parker and wife Tara of Georgia, Kimberly Palmer and husband Steve of Forney and Kara Chappell of Houston; five great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Honorary pallbearers will be Fisherman’s and Magnifiers Sunday School Class. Visitation is scheduled from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Thursday, December 10, 2009 at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Hwy, Tyler, Texas 75703. Memorials in honor of Howard Ingram Parker may be made to First Baptist Church, 301 W. Ferguson St., Tyler, Texas 75702. For more information or to express condolences, visit www.stewartfamilyfuneral.com.

Howard Parker

August 23, 1926 - December 8, 2009