Visitation will be held from 1:00pm until 2:45pm, Thursday, November 2, 2023, at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Graveside services will follow at 3:00pm at Floral Hills Memory Gardens.
To say that Elaine “enjoyed life to the fullest” would be an understatement. Elaine celebrated life with love- love for Christ, her family and friends, and the world around her.
She married her first husband, Boyce Carlton Parker, Sr., after having met while attending Mississippi State, and together they raised their family as loving, Christian parents. Following the loss of her husband she later met and married James Marshall Smith, and his children became her children. And through the years Elaine celebrated each family member with love.
Her affection for children carried over into the more than 30 years she spent providing daycare services in her home. Now grown, many of these children remained in contact with their beloved “Parker”.
Elaine was a longtime member of Park Place Baptist Church where she enjoyed participating with her Sunday School group, visiting each other’s homes and eating out. After her health would not allow her to attend services at the church she faithfully watched the televised services of her beloved church family.
A true “foodie”, Elaine enjoyed cooking and reviewing recipes, especially sweet treats. She also loved spending time tending her flowers and plants, and watching the birds that visited her yard.
Elaine was always ready to go. Shopping, “junkin”, restaurants, you name it and Elaine was up for it. Over the years some of her favorite travels included summers spent at her sister’s home in Pensacola.
Elaine’s legacy may simply be described as her pure desire to experience life and all that it offered.
Elaine was preceded in death by her husbands, Boyce Carlton Parker, Sr., and James Marshall Smith; and her sister, Kathryn Shropshire.
Survivors include children, Carol Purzycki (Ed), Carl Parker (Melanie), Lisa Smith (David), Alisa Clarke (Robby), and Deron Smith (Susan); sister, Helen Valmus; brother, Tommy Boyd; grandchildren, Chase, Christian, Drew, Erin, Alex, Mia, Craig, Crystal, Zach, and Darby; and great-grandchildren, Kiptyn, Knox, Birdie, Aaron Bradley, Hayes, Clayton, and Creed.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Pearl Gideons, P.O. Box 5973, Pearl, MS 39208.
