Zachary Tyler Parks

Zachary (Zach) Tyler Parks of Austin, TX passed away on August 13, 2022, at the age of 27. He was born on June 6, 1995, in Austin, where he attended public schools graduating from Garza Independence High School in May of 2014. At the time of his passing, he worked as a data analyst for Accenture in the legal operations team.

Zach is preceded in death by his grandfather, Ralph (Drake) Parks, grandmother, Bertha (Bert) Creighton, his cousin, Bret Reichenberg, and his aunt, Elaine (Parks) Reichenberg.

He is survived by his parents, Randy and Teresa Parks, his brother, Ryan Parks, his grandparents, Gary and Judy Glasgow, and his aunts and uncles, Tina Gell, Tracey, and Joe Luna, and Tanya and Ron Eramo, as well as numerous cousins.

Zach was a kind and loving young man and he had many deep and meaningful friendships to show for it. If anyone was struggling, he was always there for them. Since he endured hardships of this own and overcame many challenges in his life, he had the unique ability to bring love, wisdom, and compassion to any friend in need.

He also had a bright, joyous, “kid-like”, and sometimes zany personality that made him fast friends. We will never forget Zach’s laugh. He was constantly looking for something that brought laughter and joy. He gave his family and friends a continuous feed of TikTok and YouTube videos, comedy skits, and memes that brightened their days.

Zach found comfort and happiness in the outdoors. His friends will long remember the times they spent at Lake Travis, Commons Ford, Zilker Park, Barton Springs, and numerous disc golf courses around central Texas. He and his brother shared outings in west Texas, the Pacific Northwest, coastal California, and western North Carolina. Our family will smile every time we think of Zach on the beaches of Florida and Port Aransas, TX, playing in the creek at Grandma and Papa’s cabin in the north Georgia mountains, and our trips to Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone, Montana, Germany, and Italy. We will cherish these memories forever.

Attempting to capture the essence of Zach, the family fondly shares this “Perfect Day in the Life of Zach:”

• Playing an early-morning round of disc golf at Zilker Park with his friends, his brother, and his dog Lacey.

• Swimming in the cool waters of Barton Springs.

• Attending a music festival featuring all his favorite artists, joined by all his friends.

• Eating good food – Zach did not hold back; whether it was ordering everything off the menu at Uchi, consuming more oysters than you thought one person could possibly eat, or downing a double, triple or even quadruple order of macaroni and cheese.

• Having deep, thoughtful, and connecting conversations with his friends or family late into the night with his beloved cat, Vail, by his side.

We will miss you tremendously, Zach, but your beautiful spirit will live within us forever.

A memorial service for Zachary will be held Friday, August 26, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Zach’s honor to any of the following:

Phoenix Society of Burn Survivors: https://www.phoenix-society.org

National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://donate.nami.org/give/197406/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oyYBhDGARIsAMZEuMsQ_N4TwH2f-vEfvFYJVk4jPlFLtNo3b9M7iHeCo3BaDrlytBGbfQ8aAr3xEALw_wcB#!/donation/checkout?utm_source=globalNav&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=DonationTracking&c_src=ADEG22