Deacon Dan Parker

Deacon Dan Parker, 73, of Louisville, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, December 14, 2019. He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, but grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the son of Charles and Mabel (Hood) Parker. In Kenosha, he met his wife of 52 years, the former Kathleen Hansmann. The couple wed in 1967 and had one daughter, Jennifer. After his military service ended, Dan had a successful career in engineered fasteners, first in sales and marketing, and later managing the operations for Emhart Technologies, a division of Black and Decker in Farmington Hills, MI. After moving several times throughout the Midwest, Dan and his family finally settled in Louisville, Kentucky, a place he was proud to call home, although he always rooted for the Green Bay Packers! Always interested in helping others, Dan even worked part-time in customer service at Home Depot after retirement.

As he neared the end of his time in the corporate world, Deacon Dan found his true calling – serving others in the Lord’s name. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon for the Catholic Church in 2006 and began his service at Saint Aloysius Catholic Church in Pewee Valley. He then continued his studies to become a hospital chaplain, working throughout his retirement years for the Norton, Jewish, and the Kentucky One hospital systems on a part-time basis. He also served previously at Saint Bernadette Church. Deacon Dan often told his family and close friends that he wished he would have found this calling earlier in his life, as serving others was his passion. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Ancient Order of the Hibernians. Baptizing children into the Catholic faith, preaching God’s Word, and sharing his joy and love of Christ with others – he would tell you that these were all his proudest achievements, in addition to his family.

Deacon Dan is survived by his loving wife, Kathleen; his daughter, Jennifer Dolan; his son-in-law, Bill; and his two grandchildren, William and Stephanie, who were the lights of his life. He also had three loving siblings, Cathy Westover (Jim), Ron Parker (Nelda), and Kimmy Reeves (Gary); many loving nieces and nephews, as well as many dear friends. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at Saint Aloysius in Pewee Valley on Saturday, December 21, at 11:00 AM, with visitation in the church from 9:00 AM until the time of the funeral. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the “Together We Can” capital campaign for Saint Aloysius Catholic Church, or to the Mount Mercy Council of the Knights of Columbus.