Evan Riley Parker

To Evan Riley Parker, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Evan, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Evan really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Evan was born on April 23, 1999 at Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg, West Virginia. His parents are Leah Kathleen and Matthew Don Parker. Even as a child, Evan had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and compassionate. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family and friends.

Always a good sidekick, Evan was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Evan managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. He had one sister, Paige and three brothers, Cole, Caden and Levi Parker.

All of Evan's good humor carried over from his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Evan experienced a rather active childhood and adult life, which suited him very well. He took part in wrestling. Evan loved wrestling as a child. In his spare time he was a huge hunter and fisherman. He participated in the Junior Police Academy, the second year winning the Rifle Competition. He began fishing with his great grandma Nannan at Point Park. He never wanted to miss a fishing derby around town. He loved the woods and continued this passion forever.

Ask anyone who knew him from school, there would be nothing but good things to be said abut him. Evan simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Evan, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. Evan enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Evan graduated from Parkersburg High School in 2017. The teacher that had the most impact on Evan was Mrs. Whited, his first grade teacher. Mrs. Whited taught him his ABC's backwards as a child and he could still say them backwards.

Evan never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his captivating and outgoing personality to all that surrounded him. This quality allowed Evan to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Evan delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Evan was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Evan utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. Evan loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

At work, as in life, Evan was a real “people person.” He had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. When dealing with various projects and problems, Evan was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Evan's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around him to see Evan as an excellent problem solver. His primary occupation was Mission Generation Vehicle Maintenance.

Evan was an Airman First Class, Air Force. Evan graduated Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Lackland, Texas with honors and Top Marksmanship in his class. After graduating Basic Military Training he went to Naval CBC Port Hueneme, in Port Hueneme for Tech School. After graduating Tech School he was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Evan enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies but mainly fishing! Evan was an avid hunter and fisherman. A great one at that, he never missed the first day of hunting season and never missed a good conversation about new places to fish. His favorite thing to do was go night fishing with his buddies. He also enjoyed searching for old trucks to buy in hopes to redo them, and of course always day dreaming about his future Harley Davidson.

Living life in the fast lane suited Evan just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. As a little boy Evan loved taking drives to the mountains with his mom and dad, he called them "bologna drives" because they always packed bologna sandwiches to eat. Growing a little older he loved visiting Outer Banks, North Carolina with his family and spending the week fishing and eating crab legs. He also loved visiting the Upper Peninsula in Michigan to go fishing, he said he would love to live there when he was older.

Evan was preceded in death by his father, Matthew Don Parker, his maternal grandfather, Michael James Cline and his maternal great grandmother, Mary Ann Miller. Evan is survived by his mother, Leah Kathleen Parker, Siblings: (Oldest to youngest) Paige Linville(maiden name Cline, husband Brodey Linville) Cole Parker, Caden Parker, Levi Parker; his Grandparents: Butch and Beth Kyle (Maternal) Don and Tonya Parker (Paternal); Great Grandma: Mary Ann Miller (his nannan); Niece: Oaklyn Linville (his first and only niece, whom he was very proud of); Aunts: Libby Cline (Maternal) Melissa Parker Drake (Paternal); Cousins: Dawson Cheuvront, Mason Cheuvront, Myah Cheuvront, Gabby Cline, (of Parkersburg, WV) Colby Miller, Derin JaBour, Cassidy Rice (of Elysian Fields, Texas) (Maternal) Tyler Drake, Lexi Drake (of Parkersburg, WV) (Paternal)

Evan brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Evan Riley Parker lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.

“You know, as we come to the end of this phase of our life, we find ourselves trying to remember the good times and trying to forget that bad times, and we find ourselves thinking about the future. We start to worry, thinking “what am I gonna do”? “Where am I gonna be in ten years?” But “Hey, look at me!” Please, don’t worry so much. Because in the end, none of us have very long on earth. Life is fleeting. And if you are ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky when the stars are strung across the velvety night and when a shooting star streaks through the blackness, turning night into day.. make a wish and think of me. Make your life spectacular. I know I did."

A quote by Robin Williams.

A Celebration of Life will be held:

Saturday, September 7th, 2019

Point Park, Parkersburg, WV

At 6:00pm