William "Fred" Parks

William Frederick "Fred" Parks, 75, passed away on Wed., June 22, 2016. Fred was born on Oct. 19, 1940 in Newport News, VA. Fred served in the US Army and then joined the Hampton Police Dept.. He began his career with the Virginia Beach Police Dept. on October 1, 1970 and served in various units such as the Dive Team, SWAT, the Juvenile and Detective Bureaus and was also part of a Customs, IRS, FBI, and VBPD Task Force. On April 12, 1996, Fred was awarded the Medal of Merit for developing the Family Trauma Unit. Upon his retirement on Sept. 30, 1997, Fred continued his service to the VBPD by becoming a background investigator and polygraph examiner until his final separation in 2003. On Oct. 9, 2006, Fred began another career by joining Continental/United Airlines where he worked in several capacities. He retired from United Airlines in Jan. 2015. Fred was a Scottish Rite Mason, a Shriner and a member of several police associations. For many years he enjoyed coaching football and basketball teams for the Courthouse Recreation League. He enjoyed golf and was an avid Duke Basketball fan. Fred is preceded in death by his parents, Catherine Butry McMahon and William Oakley Parks; his step-father, William J. McMahon; his grandparents; several aunts and uncles; and multiple beloved pets. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Cathy Townsend Parks; his son, William "Willie" Parks and Willie's fiancée, Stephanie Socha; and his granddog, Scooter. Other survivors include his three daughters, Kimberly Thieman, Teresa Ansell, and Cynthia Byrd and their families; his Hawaiian Ohana; his Ohio and Virginia families, and numerous friends. The family will receive friends Wed, June 29, 2016 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Smith & Williams Funeral Home, 4889 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach. A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 2700 Parish Ave., Newport News with honors rendered by the Virginia Beach Police Dept. To honor Fred, the family request that everyone attending his Celebration of Life service wear golf shirts and/or casual clothing. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Duke Cancer Institute at www.gifts.duke.edu/dci.