Doris Louise Byrd Parker

Doris Byrd Parker, 89, of Raleigh died Saturday, March 7, 2015 after a brief illness. A memorial service will be held at 1pm, Tuesday, March 10 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home's Chapel, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh. The family will receive friends following the service.

She was raised in Asheville, North Carolina, by her parents Grady and Edna Byrd. After high school graduation, she attended Converse College and graduated with a degree in musical education. Later she would teach music in the Wake County Public School System for over twenty-five years. In 1951, she was attracted to and married the roguish Alan Parker of Jackson, NC, with whom she began a family.

She is survived by her daughter, Sara of Cary, NC, and sons, Jack of Jarrettsville MD, Robert and his wife Vicki of Sanford NC, and Thomas of Henderson, NC. She is survived by four grandchildren, Cameron, Shawn, Ashley, and Hayleigh and two great-grandchildren, Braxton and Mikael; and her sister, Carolyn Tipton and brother, Grady Byrd and his wife Peggy, all of Asheville, NC.

Her family would like to thank the staff at Duke Raleigh Medical Center who soothed her final transition.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Wake County Public Library in her honor.

Condolences may be made through brownwynne.com.