Emma Jane French Parker

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Emma Jane Parker, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

Emma Jane "Oma" (French) Parker, was born on September 4, 1951 at St. Joseph's Hospital by Dr. M.A. Walker in Paris, Texas. She was the daughter of Jack Weldon and Nell Ruth (Swain) French. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Emma was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Emma was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Emma was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Emma also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Emma was raised with five siblings. She had four brothers,Thomas, Jerry, David, and Michael French; and one sister, Robin French. Emma was constantly involved in activities with her family. Emma and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Emma enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Emma was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Emma was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. She attended, Capitol Hill High School through the 10th grade.

Most folks would say that Emma was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Emma was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Emma best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Emma kept. Later in life, she became friends with Collette, but ultimately everyone Emma met became her friend.

Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Emma. On December 2, 1977 Emma married Gary Alan Parker at Gary's mom and dad's backyard, 4904 Michael Place in Del City, Oklahoma. She was totally committed to Gary and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Emma naturally sensed her spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Emma disliked conflict, she did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

Emma was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Emma was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Emma was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Emma was blessed with three children, Douglas Roy Parker, Daniel Ray Parker and Joshua Lee Parker. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, Matthew Alan Parker, Keela Ann Parker, and Ryan Avi Parker.

If you gave Emma a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Emma was always on task. Without hesitation, Emma could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. Her primary occupation was Heart Cathlab Technician. She was employed for several years by Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. During that time, Emma excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Emma was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Emma had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

Emma liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Emma's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Emma preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were yard work, camping, cooking at church camp, riverdancing, listening to the music of Transiberian Orchestra, loving and spoiling her grandchildren and taking care of her husband. Emma was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes.

While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Emma often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. She was like that with sports. She also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, she was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Though Emma didn't play sports, she was very active in attending her boy's soccer and t-ball games when they were younger and was also was an active den mother for the cub scouts.

An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Emma. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member of Del City Church of Christ for over 20 years. During that time, she was very involved with the Camp Rock Creek cooking team and was the director of Friday Friends which was a Mother's Day Out for smaller children.

Emma never really retired, she stopped working at Children's Hospital, but continued to watch children at her home. She had taken the time to learn about her various options and chose her course wisely. Her new life involved relocating to Midwest City, OK. Emma found new pleasure in church activities, and taking care of her grandchildren and nephews. She continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities the non work force offered her.

Emma passed away on March 22, 2015 at 10:40 pm at at her home in Midwest City, Oklahoma. She is survived by her loving husband of 37 years, Gary; children, Douglas Parker and wife, Melissa, Daniel Parker and wife, Patricia, Joshua Parker and wife, Cathy; grandchildren, Matthew, Keela and Ryan Parker; siblings, Tom French and wife, Sherri, Mike French and wife, Mary, David French and wife, Jane, and Robin "Robbie" Abbott. A celebration of Emma Jane "Oma" Parkers life was held at 10:00 a. M., Friday, March 27, 2015 at the Del City Church of Christ. Emma was laid to rest in Resthaven Memory Gardens in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Emma was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Emma was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Emma Parker was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Emma. She will be missed.