William Anderson Parker Jr.

A NATIVE ATLANTAN, BILL WAS BORN AUGUST 10, 1927 TO WILLIAM A. PARKER AND EMMY NIXON PARKER. AFTER ATTENDING EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL, HE IMMEDIATELY JOINED THE UNITED STATES NAVY AFTER WHICH HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED. BILL THEN ATTENDED EMORY UNIVERSITY ON THE GI BILL. THESE EXPERIENCES BEGAN HIS LIFELONG PASSION TO SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE STUDENTS OF AVERAGE ACADEMIC ABILITY. UPON GRADUATION, HE JOINED BECK AND GREGG HARDWARE COMPANY WHERE HE SPENT 32 YEARS; 15 OF WHICH AS ITS PRESIDENT. DURING HIS TENURE, BECK AND GREGG MERGED WITH GENUINE PARTS COMPANY WHERE HE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF BECK AND GREGG AND VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF GENUINE PARTS COMPANY.

OVER HIS LIFETIME, BILL SERVED ON THE BOARDS OF GEORGIA POWER COMPANY, THE SOUTHERN COMPANY, POST PROPERTIES, AND HAVERTY FURNITURE COMPANIES. HE WAS ALSO ACTIVE IN NUMEROUS NON PROFIT BOARDS INCLUDING THE UNITED WAY, A.G. RHODES HOME,THE ATLANTA GIRLS CLUB, THE METROPOLITAN YMCA, EMORY UNIVERSITY, THE WESTMINSTER SCHOOLS AND THE J. BULOW CAMPBELL FOUNDATION AMONG MANY OTHERS. HE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS QUIET, GENTLE, COMMON SENSE LEADERSHIP.

WHILE BILL ENJOYED THE OUTDOORS AND LOVED TO HUNT, FISH HIKE AND SKI, HIS TRUE PASSION WAS RELATING TO PEOPLE. HE LOVED TO WRITE HIS MANY FRIENDS JUST TO CHECK IN, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, INCLUDING A NOTE OF ENCOURAGEMENT, A FUNNY STORY OR JOKE. IF YOU WERE ON THE MAILING LIST, IT WOULD NOT BE UNUSUAL FOR SEVERAL LETTERS TO ARRIVE DURING A WEEK.

HE WAS A MEMBER OF PEACHTREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ATLANTA ROTARY CLUB, THE PIEDMONT DRIVING CLUB, CAPITAL CITY CLUB, AND PEACHTREE GOLF CLUB

MR PARKER IS PREDECEASED BY HIS LOVING AND DEVOTED WIFE OF 53 YEARS, NANCY FRASER PARKER AND HIS BROTHER ALBERT NIXON “BUD” PARKER.

HIS SURVIVORS INCLUDE HIS WIDOW, JEAN JORGENSON PARKER, HIS DAUGHTER ISOBEL PARKER MILLS (JAMES T.) , TWO SONS WILLIAM ANDERSON PARKER III, AND RICHARD CARLYLE PARKER (KAREN); FIVE GRANDCHILDREN JEANNIE MILLS BIECHTELER (PHILIPP) , ISOBEL PARKER MILLS, RICHARD CARLYLE PARKER, JR, LAURA PARKER SYKES (SAM), FRASER STOWELL PARKER, AND HIS GREAT GRANDSON SAM SYKES III, MICHAEL VICE, MATT VICE (WENDY) AS WELL AS NUMEROUS COUSINS.

THE FAMILY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS THEIR SINCERE THANKS TO NULA JOHNSON, JUANITA WEST, SUZETTE ANDERSON AND MARION LEE SHOAF FOR THEIR STEADFAST FRIENDSHIP, CARE AND LOVE FOR BILL.

A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD 1 O’CLOCK PM SATURDAY AFTERNOON DECEMBER 16, 2017 AT H.M. PATTERSON SPRING HILL. A RECEPTION WILL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW AT THE PIEDMONT DRIVING CLUB.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, FRIENDS WISHING TO DO SO MAY MAKE A MEMORIAL GIFT TO THE CHARITY OF THEIR CHOICE OR TO THE CARLYLE FRASER HEART CENTER AT EMORY MIDTOWN.