Anne McCoy Parker

The adopted (only) child of James Albert McCoy and wife, Lillie Holloman McCoy of the rural community of Arba (Greene County), North Carolina. Anne’s adopted name was Anne Muriel McCoy. Anne was adopted at around the age of 18 months old; the name that she came into this world as was Lucy Mildred (no last name is known).

Anne is survived by her only two sons: Rodney Thomas (Tom) Heath, Jr. from her first marriage and William (Billy) Marvin Parker, Jr. from her second marriage. Anne has several living cousins from her mother’s family, including Christopher Holloman (only one remaining in the local area). And Anne has one remaining cousin from the McCoy family – Sylvia McCoy Mewborn of Chapel Hill, NC.

Anne was married to Rodney Heath in the mid-1950s; and after that divorce, she married Bill Parker in the early 1960s which lasted a little over 3 years. Anne was briefly married to Clarence (Tip) O’Neal in the early 1970s; and later, before their divorce became finalized, Tip passed away; so Anne became a widow. Anne later changed her name back to Anne Parker. As a child and after Anne’s father died, both she and her mother moved to Kinston, NC when Anne was about 12 years old. There she spent her high school years and first couple years as an adult. Soon afterwards, both Anne and Lillie moved to Raleigh, where Anne’s uncle (Lillie’s brother) – Charles R. Holloman Sr. then lived and worked in high office of state government. And while Anne has lived in multiple cities over the years, Raleigh has always been her new “home” and where she raised her two boys.

Early on in Anne’s working career, she worked at Stallings Air Force Base (which later became the Kinston Airport), worked for a radio station down East, and even moved to New York City briefly where she tried her hand as a model in the garment industry (Anne was a very attractive young lady). Later when Anne first moved to Raleigh around 1960, she worked for Morris and Associates as a bookkeeper and secretary – when Morris was located in downtown Raleigh on W. Cabarrus Street at the railroad tracks (plant is now out in Garner). A couple years later, she was the payroll clerk for Corning Glass off New Hope Church Road. In the late 1960s, she became a hair stylist and soon afterwards opened a beauty shop – “Anne Lillie’s” in the North Hills area. Anne was highly intelligent and very creative. She even started a company out of the backseat of her car once, where she later owned and ran an advertising company having to do with golf scorecards. Later in life, she received her real estate license and became a Realtor, which she worked as a broker for the last couple decades of her life.

Funeral service is planned for noon on Monday, March 4th at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Raleigh. Anne was not a Presbyterian but service is being provided as courtesy to her son, Billy Parker, who is a member of that church.