Lyle D. Parker

Lyle’s first love was springboard diving. He was self taught & eventually won first place in springboard diving in the USA Diving Junior National Championship. His diving skills led to an athletic scholarship to the University of New Mexico,where he discovered his second love - flying. Then entered his third love, Linda Lee Stevens. Lyle flew her on his first solo night flight over the romantic nightlights of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Earlier in his life Lyle was a paperboy. In fact, he delivered the local paper to Linda’s parents. Who knew where that was going? Linda’s mom kept trying to introduce them, but Linda wasn’t interested.

Upon graduation from the University of New Mexico, Lyle entered the Navy as a pilot flying the P-3 Orion, a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft. He flew planes for five years in the Navy then joined Western Airlines as a pilot and later Delta Airlines also as an instructor pilot. He finally retired in 2002, much to his regret. He often said, “Can you believe, they actually pay me to fly?!”

After retirement from the airlines, Lyle and Linda began to facilitate a marriage enrichment class titled “Laugh your Way to a Better Marriage.” Over the years they helped hundreds of couples with their marriages. God, of course was always in control, and they felt privileged to do their part to help the other couples.

Lyle and Linda loved ballroom dancing, traveling the country on their Goldwing motorcycle, and cruising around the globe on cruise ships. They also enjoyed camping in their motor-home with their two kids (and later two grandkids), scuba diving, teaching water skiing to youth groups at church, and snow skiing.

Lyle’s final athletic endeavor occurred when he was no longer able to remember his own name – it was Rock Steady Boxing, a program designed for persons with Parkinson’s disease. He loved the program and made many friends who were also suffering with Parkinson’s.

Lyle was predeceased by his son-in-law, Kevin Winfield Dodge who passed away from

signet ring cell adenocarcinoma on April 1, 2019.

Lyle leaves behind his lifelong sweetheart Linda; a son, Scott Parker; a daughter, Lorelee Dodge; a brother and his wife,Lynn and Carol Parker; a niece, Janice Parker; a nephew, Steve Parker; a brother in-law and his wife, Gary and Peggy Stevens; a grandson, Shane; a granddaughter and her husband, Jessica and Jeff Miller; a great grandson Sebastian and a great granddaughter Charlotte Lyle Miller.