Richard Clement Parker

A man of vision, Richard was a pioneer in the communications industry and an accomplished entrepreneur in other business ventures throughout his life. He owned KAND, a radio station in Corsicana, Texas, from 1966 to 1995 and co-owned 8 other stations in Louisiana and Missouri over the ensuing years. In 1972, Richard and a partner developed CCTV-one of the earlier cable television systems in Texas. In later years, he was active in commercial and residential real estate development as well as the oil industry. Despite the demands of his career, Richard always made time for giving back to his community by serving as a volunteer and on the boards of various professional and philanthropic organizations, including the Texas Association of Broadcasters, the Masonic Lodge, Boy Scouts, Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, Salvation Army, Red Cross, the Warehouse Living Arts Center, and more.

Richard's vision was not only directed to the future; he held a deep appreciation of history, both personal and global. His global interests were piqued as a U.S. Navy sailor in the early 1950s, and his dreams of travel were fulfilled with his wife, Hester. Throughout their forty-five year marriage, they enjoyed travels across the United States and Mexico as well as Caribbean cruises and visits to the Far East and Europe.

His appreciation of his ancestry led to his insatiable curiosity regarding the history of his family and his determination to preserve it. In 2010, Richard published a book titled A Sailor's Life in Letters, sharing his experiences as a sailor during the Korean War years through letters exchanged with his mother and other family members. Over the next decade, he published Richard Denny Parker, A Personal & Family History-his father's life story, and Dr. Daniel Parker III: A Portrait of Courage and Compassion- a comprehensive study of the life of his grandfather, a doctor who served as an assistant surgeon for the Confederate Army throughout the Civil War and later became a Texas rancher and legislator. Summarizing his own life at age 80, Richard wrote, "All in all, I've been lucky. Life has been, and still is, great for this Texas boy."

Beloved husband of Hester Woodfin Parker and father of William K. Parker, Richard was predeceased by his parents, Richard Denny Parker and Nona Clement Parker, sister Lila Anne Parker, brothers David Connel Parker, Jacques Adoue Parker and William Lucien Parker, and daughter Kathryn Parker.

A private memorial service will be held at later date. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a charity of your choice.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice.