March 20, 1932 - September 4, 2024
E.D. Parker Jr. was born March 20, 1932, in Healdton, Oklahoma to Ezra Daniel Parker and Della Mae Thorneberry, the tenth of 12 children. He graduated to heaven Sept. 4, 2024.
E.D. married his first wife, Earline Files, while in college at OSU, where he completed his degree in mechanical engineering. After a short stint in Kilgore, Texas they moved to Venezuela with their two daughters to work for Gulf Oil company. He and Earline spent 20 years in Venezuela and had two more children before moving back to the United States and settling on a farm outside of Bristow.
He is predeceased by his first wife Earline Parker, his son, DeJuan Parker, and 10 brothers and sisters. He married Joana Smith in 2010, and they enjoyed fourteen years of marriage together.
E.D. is survived by his wife, Joana Parker; brother, Coy Parker; daughter Janise and husband John Newton and children Jason and Giselle Newton, Parker Diffie and wife Tasha, and Kara and husband Travis Hare; daughter Cynthia and husband David Luke Jr and children Meridee and husband Matt Watts, Lydia, Jonathan, and Mark Luke; son Paul Parker and wife Kelly and children Timothy, Hannah, and Nathaniel Parker; daughter Darla Young Clopp and husband Tim Clopp and children Austin and Laura Young; stepson Bill Pascoe and wife Cathy and children Jamie Pascoe, and Chrissie and husband Mike Jones; step-daughter Pam and husband Darrell Shephard andchildren Blake Shephard and wife Lauren, and Kristen and husband David Johnson ; and; step-daughter Becky and husband Jeff Showman and children Abbie and Riley; andstep- daughter Ashley O’Neal and son Kaiden Stark.
Funeral services were 2:00 pm, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Cornerstone Church.
Interment followed at Magnolia Memorial Gardens. Services were under the direction of Hutchins Maples Matherly Funeral Home.
E.D. was an avid tennis player who was recently considering taking up pickle ball. He loved playing his guitar, singing silly songs with his children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren--“ The Chocolate Ice Cream Cone” being a favorite. Other than the Bible, his favorite Zane Grey book was Riders of the Purple Sage. Anyone who knew him would not be surprised to hear him say, “I don’t know how I could do any better,” or “I love it when a plan comes together.” E.D. loved Jesus and took every opportunity to build relationships and share the goodness of God.