Eddy Ray Parker Jr.

Eddy Ray Parker, Jr. of Colleyville, Texas was born in Fort Worth, on February 14, 1958. He rode off into the sunset on April 4, 2015. Funeral: 2 pm, Wednesday, April 8, in College Hill Church of Christ, 7447 N. College Circle, Ft. Worth, 76180. Visitation: 6 to 8 pm Tuesday, at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home. Burial: Smithfield Cemetery, North Richland Hills, Tx.

He believed in spreading the gospel, Memorials: Truth In Love Television Program, P.O. Box 865, Hurst, TX 76053.

He is a graduate of Fort Christian School and the Brown Trail School of Preaching. He also attended the Tennessee Bible College in Cookeville and received his Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religion from International Seminary, Florida.

He rode his first horse when he was three and was a PRCA bull rider in high school. Eddy was a competitive marksman for handguns and rifles. He fought a bear and supposedly won although if he were here, the bear might beg to disagree. Eddy fancied himself quite the athlete. He started walking at seven and half months and at 18 months, he climbed a fence and begged to play football with the boys next door.

Eddy came from a musical family and taught himself to play the guitar at a very young age. Eddy was on Romper Room twice. He wrote country and western songs and even played professionally. Locally he played with his son, Justin; his aunt, Helen; and uncle, James. He also made several CDs.

Eddy's work and professional life was rich and full. He worked in the family business, ER Parker Auto Rebuilders and Wrecker Service for many years. As a teenager he worked as a ranch hand in Chico, Texas. Like his father, he was quite the businessman owning his first business at age sixteen. He owned farms and ranches in Tennessee and Texas and operated a Woodmizer sawmill company in Tennessee. He owned an import business selling unique guns and ammo, and raised deer and buffalo. He was also a co-owner of a hunting and guide business that spanned the west coast all the way into Canada. Eddy was a member of the NRA and was a competitive marksman for handguns and rifles.

Eddy wrote several articles for religious publications and even during his illness he received calls on various brotherhood issues and answered Bible questions. He attended several congregations in Texas. He also preached in Chico, Texas and at various congregations in Tennessee.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Lela; son, Justin Ray; step-daughter, Alison Lee Roberts; parents, Eddy and Juanita Parker; daughter-in-law Jacqueline, 4 grandkids; sister Lou Ward; brother, Andrew Dean Parker; nephews, and a whole host of aunts, uncles, cousins, a posse of friends and outlaws.

Eddy was a Christian man who showed what it means to persevere through severe illness.

Arrangements under the direction of Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home, COLLEYVILLE, TX.