Muriel Kay Kay Parker

5/16/38 - 11/8/12

Born in Sublette, Illinois on May 16, 1938 and raised in the nearby village of Ashton, Kay was a cheerleader at the local high school. She married Richard Parker in 1957 and moved to Oceanside to begin a life together, and raise their son, Steve. As Steve grew up, Kay had a desire to return to school and earned an A.A. in Business Administration at Palomar College.

Kay eventually found her passion for volunteering in positions of community service and became a top advocate for fair housing within Oceanside. For nearly two decades, her top priority was serving as a member of the Oceanside Housing Commission, commonly serving as its chair.

She was especially proud of her work in establishing the Marisol Apartments housing project for people with HIV and AIDS, where she fought to win the minds and hearts of others in the community. Kay was also proud of her contributions on the work done to establish the Lil’ Jackson Senior Community and low income housing for families at La Mision Village and Old Grove Apartment complexes.

Kay worked tirelessly for the residents of Oceanside and supported the beliefs of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Such an exemplary citizen within our city, that in 2011, she was deeply honored and surprised to be awarded the City of Oceanside’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award for her dedicated work.

No matter what she did, Kay brought her unique humor, wisdom, and love. She will be deeply missed by numerous family members, friends and colleagues.

In lieu of flowers, contributions honoring Kay can be made to the non-profit affordable housing developer of National Community Core Renaissance – Attn: The Mission Cove Project in Oceanside (9065 Haven Avenue, #100, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730).