Geraldine Dye Parker

The family of Geraldine “Jerry” Dye Parker, of San Antonio, Texas is sad to announce that our beautiful mother passed away on July 29th, 2024. She was born to Fulton Eugene Dye and Ida Mae Phillips on December 31, 1928 in Houston, Texas, and was perpetually delighted that the whole world celebrated her birthday each year.

She was raised in Bay City, Texas, the second child out of a family of four children. Her father, a General Practitioner, enlisted in the Navy in his forties to join the troops in the Pacific arena when she was a young teenager. Doing her part for the war effort, she sold war bonds after school, attended USO dances and helped raise vegetables in the family “victory garden”. After Graduation she attended Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans and from there went to The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston where she was in the first Baccalaureate Class of Nursing in the State (“The Mighty Ten”).

On a blind date she met her future husband Wade Malcolm Parker. They were married on June 9th, 1951 in Bay City in her parent’s home. Following graduation, they found themselves in Silsbee, Texas where Wade practiced General Practice, eventually moving to Temple, Texas for a residency in Pathology. Following that, they moved to Beaumont, Texas and upon retirement to Kerrville until 8 years ago when they moved to San Antonio. They were married 71 years and had four children.

Jerry lived a life that exemplified the tender strength of selflessness, the warm embrace of love, and the gentle touch of kindness. Her life was filled with the joys of constant learning and loving resourcefulness. Her zest for life was palpable. Whether she was wielding a golf club with congenial competitiveness, shuffling cards with a twinkle in her eye, or losing herself in the latest novel, Jerry relished every moment. Her love for needlework, which blossomed into an exceptional talent for quilting, remained a vibrant thread that connected her to friends, family, and the community she so cherished. There is a constant battle for those quilts. Such was her legacy.

Her legacy lives on the lives of her children, family and friends, a testament to her nurturing heart, and in the memories of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her journey was not one of seeking accolades or chasing after fleeting pleasures but one of laying a foundation of love so deep that it could support the dreams of generations. She had an “everyday grace”.

Jerry is preceded in death by her parents, Fulton Eugene Dye and Ida Mae Phillips, and her husband, Wade Malcolm Parker. She is survived by her children: Scott Parker and wife Colleen, of Asheville, NC; Paul Parker and wife Carol, of Beaumont, Texas; James Parker and wife Donna, of Fort Worth, Texas; and Amy Parker Hurst, of San Antonio, Texas. She is also survived by his sister, Carole Dye Weatherred and her husband Preston, of Kerrville, Texas; and their daughters Melissa and Warren Branch and Heidi Weatherred. Jerry leaves behind her eight grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. This was a point of pride for her and she told everyone she could about them all.

Jerry and Wade’s final resting place will be at the columbarium of the Kerrville First United Methodist Church. The family will hold a private memorial service later this year.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Geraldine Dye Parker Nursing Scholarship at the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, established in loving honor of Jerry by her husband, Wade. Donations can be made at www.utmb.edu/giving, by noting the Geraldine Dye Parker Fund, or by mailing your check to UTMB, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, Texas 77555-0148.

We love you, Mom, and will miss you terribly, but give all our love to dad and we will join you both on the other side of the creek.