Larrie Hope Parks

Larrie was born November 1,1929 to Paul and Marguerite Hope in Terre Haute, Indiana. She died January 1, 2025 in her home in Laguna Niguel surrounded by loving caregivers, friends and family. Her given name was Virginia Larrie Hope but for most of her life, was called Larrie, her middle name, after her uncle, Larry Denning. Larrie was one of four Hope sisters... Ennie Baxter, Margie Bopp and Elaine Geitzen.

Larrie graduated from Wiley High School in Terre Haute in 1947. She was Homecoming Queen in her senior year. She attended Indiana State University where she met the love of her life, Bill Parks. They were married on December 20, 1953 and after Bill graduated from Dental School at Indiana University, they headed to California and settled in Santa Ana, where Bill practiced dentistry. Larrie is survived by her four children, William (Laura), Bradley (Wendy), Brian (Kathy) and Brenna, three grandchildren Sarah and Maiah (Brad and Wendy), Perryn (Brenna) and three step grandchildren Fores and Apryll (Brian) and Paisley (Billy).

In 1961, while vacationing near Lake Shasta, the family became infatuated with water skiing and for the next ten plus years, water skiing became the family sport and many vacations centered around that. Larrie also enjoyed snow skiing with the family, biking and playing the occasional round of golf and tennis with Bill, family and friends.

In 1964, Hal Edwards, one of their friends and the pastor of the church they attended, helped lead Larrie and Bill to a personal relationship with Christ. They were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana, St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach and most recently, South Shores Church in Laguna Niguel.

In 1974, the family built their dream home in Laguna Beach and enjoyed living there until Bill's retirement in 1989 when they moved to Flathead Lake, Montana where they enjoyed lake life, fishing, working in the cherry orchard and playing as much golf as possible. In 1997, after eight years in Montana, they decided to return home to Southern California.

During the 1980's Larrie became involved with the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis, an organization founded by son, Brad. She loved her involvement with wheelchair tennis and the wheelchair sports camp program for disabled children. She helped found Chariot Champions, a support group for the sports camp and many of the campers were very special to her, including Herb Langfield. Larrie helped raise funds to buy him an accessible van.

Both Bill and Larrie were blessed with good health in their retirement and they enjoyed many years together traveling the world. Throughout the years their faith grew. They loved doing short term mission trips and entertained foreign students in their home. They became active with the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC, the Orange County Christian Outreach and Mayor's Prayer Breakfast. Larrie also regularly attended BSF and was a group leader for many

years.

At the age of 94, one of Larrie's dearest wishes was to be able to travel to Interlaken, Switzerland to attend her grand daughter, Maiah's' wedding to Alex Haring on September 15, 2023. She succeeded and spent two wonderful weeks traveling in Switzerland.

The Lord has blessed both Larrie and Bill with a loving family, caregivers, friends and neighbors.