Margie Carol Simmons Parker

Margie Simmons Parker, 89, passed away peacefully on May 3, 2025. She was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 60 years, Carl Duncan Parker. She was also preceded in death by her sister Jean Burgess and her brothers Lloyd Simmons, Stanford Simmons, and Jerry Simmons. She is survived by her two children, Carla Sink and Kevin Parker, daughter-in-law Darry Parker, her five grandchildren, Brian Sink, Eric Sink and wife Beangely, Megan Sink, Christiana Parker, and Andrew Parker, and two great grandchildren, Mattias and Miles Sink. She is also survived by her brother, Rev. James Simmons, and his wife Carolyn, as well as sisters-in-law Barbara Simmons and Sandra Simmons, along with fifteen nieces and nephews.

Margie was born September 26, 1935 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the first child of Taft Jerome Simmons and Cladie Margie Lear Simmons. Just days after birth, her father gave her the nickname “Pete”, and that name stayed with her for the remainder of her life. The family lived in the small textile mill village of Cordova, North Carolina, and were known for their strong faith and great sense of humor.

Margie graduated from Rockingham High School in 1953 and began work as an assistant for Rockingham attorney Harvey Carroll. In late 1954, she was the director of the Christmas play at Cordova Baptist Church. She asked Carl Parker to participate in the play, and shortly afterwards, they began dating. Margie and Carl married in April 1958, just before he graduated from North Carolina State University. They moved to Orlando, Florida, where Carl went to work for The Martin Company, and they welcomed their first child, Carla. In 1959, they moved back to Durham, North Carolina, where son Kevin was born in 1962. Since returning to the Triangle area, they’ve lived in Durham, Raleigh, and Cary, moving to Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community in January 2015.

Margie stayed home with Carla and Kevin until the mid-1970s, when she started working at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Margie was very talented and was soon asked to work in the office of BSCNC’s Executive Director. She remained at BSCNC until she retired in 1999.

Margie has been a member at Ridge Road Baptist Church since 1972, singing in the choir for most of those years. She was a faithful member of her Sunday School class and served on numerous committees, including the Personnel Advisory Committee and the Hospitality Committee.

Margie had a graceful, loving spirit and embraced life with an unfailingly positive attitude. She had a gift for developing many strong friendships and took a genuine interest in getting to know all with whom she crossed paths. She never failed to remember birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events of those she knew, signing the many cards she sent with “W.E.L.N.M.W.” That was short for “With Enduring Love, No Matter What”. She demonstrated her commitment to that phrase every day.

Margie had a true gift for music, teaching herself piano as a child and playing “by-ear”. She never learned to read music, but if she heard a song, she could play it. She shared this gift throughout her life and had a beautiful, distinctive way of playing many traditional hymns. Even as her memory began to fade, her ability to play the piano continued to delight her family and the residents and staff at Springmoor.

In her last few years, Margie battled memory issues and dementia, yet she never lost her sense of humor, her kind and gentle spirit, or her love and affection for family and friends. The family would like to thank the caregivers at Springmoor for their kind and compassionate care for Margie during her time in the Stewart Health Center. We are especially grateful for her aide Cheryl Thibault, who became a trusted friend and care partner over the past several years, greatly enhancing Mom’s quality of life.

A memorial service will be held at Ridge Road Baptist Church, 2011 Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607, on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 1:00 pm, with a reception following the service in the Fellowship Hall. Burial will occur on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 11:00 am at Eastside Cemetery in Rockingham, NC.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either of the following: The Springmoor Endowment Fund, 1500 Sawmill Road, Raleigh, NC 27615, or the Ridge Road Baptist Church General Budget Fund, 2011 Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607.