William "Joe" Alton Parker, Jr.

William Alton Parker Jr. passed away on May 1, 2025, at the age of 81 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was known as “Joe” to his friends and “Joe Joe” to his family. Joe was a devoted husband, loving father, and humble businessman. He loved working outside and was often seen riding a tractor or working with his hands. Joe was a servant and a doer. It was a rare thing to find him sitting still.

Joe loved his family dearly and rarely missed an event that involved his children or grandchildren. Whether it was a game, musical or concert, he would be there to support them. He always took joy in telling anyone who would listen about how well his children or grandchildren performed at any event. Joe was a quiet man who preferred to keep any attention off of himself, but he loved to joke around with his family and friends. His subtle and sarcastic wit always kept people laughing. Despite his shyness in large groups, he rarely left a gathering without making a friend. Joe was truly one of a kind.

Joe was born on April 19, 1944, in Corpus Christi, TX. He was raised in Knoxville. He grew up on a farm and learned how to work hard at an early age. Joe attended Holston High School and developed into an outstanding athlete. He played every sport he could but excelled at football. Joe spent a year at the Tennessee Military Institute before walking on the football team at the University of Tennessee. Middle Tennessee University offered him a scholarship prior to his sophomore year. Joe played there for 3 years and earned his degree. Joe met Anne Daniels before leaving Knoxville for Murfreesboro. She was the love of his life, and he never let go of her. This August would have been Joe and Anne’s 57th wedding anniversary.

Joe had a wonderful group of lifelong friends. They treated each other like brothers, and they have countless stories having fun and maybe getting into a little bit of trouble here and there. Those same friends visited Joe frequently as his disease progressed. They would laugh and reminisce about the “good old days.” Those times helped Joe forget about the sickness he was battling. He always felt so thankful and blessed for those relationships.

Joe began his professional career in Nashville, TN selling heavy machinery with Thompson and Green. A few years later Joe’s father called him home to help start Parker Properties, Inc. and Dead Horse Lake Golf Course.

Joe worked with his parents and his brother, Pete, to start Dead Horse Lake Golf Course in 1973. Along with some friends in the golf business, Joe and Pete rolled up their sleeves and designed and built the course on some of their parents’ farmland. During that time, you were likely to find Joe riding a tractor, moving dirt, and wearing his favorite gray cowboy hat. The course was opened in April of 1973. It was truly a family business. One brother was often working outside while the other was inside. Their mom ran the snack bar in the early days. After a while, Pete decided to pursue other opportunities, and Joe continued to operate the business.

Joe enjoyed using his business to help the community. He would donate to local fundraisers, supported organizations like The First Tee and The Patricia Neal Center, and he frequently offered schools the use of course facilities. Joe would loan equipment to other golf courses if they were in need. He never expected anything in return. He was loyal to his staff regardless of whether or not the business had a good or tough year.

Joe poured everything he had into running the golf course. He cultivated countless friendships and memories there. Joe was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012. This forced him to slow down and reduced the time he spent at the course. Joe called on his family to help him manage the responsibilities of his business with his son handling daily operations. This allowed him to focus on the challenges of living with Parkinson’s. His family’s goal is to continue the business in a way that honors the vision that Joe and his father had for it when it opened 52 years ago.

Joe was a great family man and a good friend. He had a huge heart and loved to help others. Joe was a problem solver, and he often took on issues that confronted others. He would figure out a solution or he always seemed to “know a guy” who could. It didn’t matter if someone needed help starting a business or figuring out something like a car problem, he always wanted to help.

Joe attended Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church with his family. The music was his favorite part of the services there. Music seemed to connect Joe to his Heavenly Father. Many people will certainly recall Joe’s appreciation for a good bluegrass gospel song.

Joe is survived by his wife Anne (Daniels) Parker, his daughters Elizabeth (Lisa) Ward, Julia (Julie) Sterchi and his son William (Trey) A. Parker III; daughter-in-law Anna Parker and sons-in-law Mathew Sterchi and Geoff Ward. Brother and sister-in-law Peter and Diane Parker. Granddaughters Cora Parker, Louise Parker and Anna Daniels Ward. Grandsons William A. Parker IV, Baker Sterchi, Grant Sterchi, Ward Sterchi, Will Sterchi, Parker Ward and Preston Ward. Joe was preceded in death by his parents Dr. William (Bill) A. Parker Sr. and Elizabeth (Marshall) Parker and his brother Dr. Marshall Parker.

Joe’s family will be hosting a receiving of friends at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church Thursday May 8th at 10:00am until 11:30am. A service will immediately follow.

In lieu of flowers the Parker family welcomes donations to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.