Albert Clay Parker, 93, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, from his home in Crawfordville. He was born in Lone Oak, Kentucky, on March 31, 1927, to Albert and Linnie Madding Parker.
As a young man, he worked at the Silver Castle in Paducah, KY, until he joined the Navy at 17. By the time he was ready for deployment, WW II had ended and he was sent for the Army of Occupation to Japan. Following the Navy, he graduated Paducah Junior College and married the love of his life, Christeen. They relocated to Florida, where he reentered service in Naval Aviation and completed pilot training just as the Korean War ended. He returned to the restaurant business and spent many years as regional supervisor for Howard Johnson’s Restaurants.
He served 25 years as Treasurer/Bookkeeper for Lakewood Baptist Church and touched many lives with his kind and humble spirit. He was a quiet leader with a servant’s heart who always had a smile for everyone. After retirement, he enjoyed gardening, raising game birds, gunsmithing, teaching personal safety, and spending time with family and friends. He will be lovingly remembered for his sense of humor, his jokes and stories for every occasion, contagious laughter, immense knowledge, and incredible memory.
Al was preceded in death by his wife, siblings, and parents. He is survived by his son, Clarke Parker (Janet); and daughter, Sheryl Cosson (Preston); grandchildren, Ryan (Janette), and A.J. Cosson; Mason and Reed Parker; and two great grandchildren, Kendall and Parker Cosson; as well as Christeen’s daughter, Nancy Hartsfield; and her sons, Chris (Stacey) and Greg (Kathryn) Vowell; nieces, Judith Boyd and Randa Pesz (Kimmyth), nephews Michael Turner (Sandra), and David Turner (Cathy).
Visitation will be held August 8 at Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home, 700 Timberlane Road, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. He will be buried in Tallahassee at Culley’s MeadowWood Memorial Park following a celebration of his life on August 9 at 2:00 P.M.
A special note of thanks from the family to Faye Greene and the staff of Wakulla Big Bend Hospice for their compassionate care during his illness. Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to the Lighthouse Children’s Home or Big Bend Hospice.
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