Stephen Lyle Parker

Stephen Lyle Parker was only 47, but lived a life most of us could never imagine experiencing in such a short time. Stephen was born on January 3, 1969 to Lyle and Beverly Joann Parker in Cochabamba, Bolivia, South America. Soon he would be joined by his beloved brother, companion and future business partner, Daniel, and their lifetime of adventure began.

After living in, and traveling through the mountainous regions of Bolivia and South America, Stephen and his family returned to the United States in 1985, where Stephen finished high school before entering William Jewell College where his academic prowess flourished, studying history and philosophy, and graduating summa cum laude in 1991. Upon graduation from William Jewell, Stephen attended the University of Kansas School of Law, graduating in 1995 and joining the bars of both Kansas and Missouri thereafter. Strongly civic-minded, Stephen took on the role as a legal aid advocate in Southwestern Kansas, serving indigent clients in 24 counties. But his heart and ambition lay back in Kansas City with his brother, where they soon opened Abogados Parker & Parker, P.A. Their practice has become the gold-standard for the full-service law firm serving the Hispanic community in local, state, and federal courts. Their building is a landmark to the legal community in Kansas City, Kansas.

And yet that is but a fraction of what Stephen Parker accomplished, and not even remotely close to who he is. Stephen was a world traveler. Several times each and every year, Stephen would embark on voyages to Europe, or South America, or Asia, often with proven travel companions, but many other times with friends who had never ventured outside of the United States. If someone mentioned the possibility of taking a trip or adventure, Stephen immediately insisted on it, and from that point on, the possibility became reality. "We should go to..." became "We are leaving on ...". From making arrangements to exposing his friends to the most remote local jewel, Stephen enthusiastically and seamlessly handled it all. And because of that, the locals knew and loved him. Traveling with Stephen was truly as though you were traveling with “the most interesting man in the world. Everyone knew "Senor Parker," and shopkeepers and restaurateurs the world over would make their way over to greet and visit with him wherever he ventured.

And then there were his passions: Stephen loved Ducati motorcycles; Porsche sports-cars; motorsports from Formula 1 to Gran Prix moto; his enormous groups of friends from divergent backgrounds; and mostly, his family.

Stephen leaves behind his beloved parents, Joann and Lyle, his loving brother Daniel, grandmother Doris Parker, aunts, uncles and cousins, and his faithful little amigo-Chihuahua, Pico, along with a line of grieving friends stretching from Kansas City to Italy, Argentina, Bolivia and back. Each and all of us were sincerely made to feel by Stephen that we were indeed his most trusted and best friend. His absence is irreplaceable, but his impact and influence are tangible and ever-present.

Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, April 8, at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri. Memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Country Club United Methodist Church, 400 West 57th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64113. Inurnment will follow in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, 10507 Holmes Road.

Arrangements under the direction of Mt Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, Kansas City, MO.