Hylton Richard Parkinson

Mr. Hylton Richard Parkinson, Sr. was born on May 9, 1932 in Harper City, Maryland County, Liberia, unto the union of Jerome Richard Parkinson I, and Harriet Elizabeth Howard-Parkinson. Following the death of his father, the family relocated to Monrovia where he completed his secondary education at Lott Carey Mission High School in Brewerville, Liberia. He then matriculated to Liberia College (currently the University of Liberia) where he studied for a brief period before leaving for a full time employment opportunity at the Department of Public Health (currently the Ministry of Health) as a public health inspector.

While serving as a public health inspector, Mr. Parkinson was selected to serve with the Liberian military contingent under the auspices of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force and sent to Belgium Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo) during its civil crisis in 1960 and returned in 1961. Following a few years of diligent service as a public health inspector, and in light of his strong desire to advance his education, he sought and was awarded a scholarship to pursue his undergraduate studies in the U.S. Accordingly, he matriculated to East Tennessee State University (ETSU) where he graduated with a BSc in Environmental Health.

In 1969, immediately following his graduation from ETSU, Mr. Parkinson along with his wife, Johnetta, returned to Liberia and continued his career at the Ministry of Health. In the same year Mr. Parkinson was promoted and appointed to the position of Director at the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA). He served in this position diligently until his employment at the UN World Health Organization in 1974.

His employment with the UN afforded him, not only the financial security he wanted for his family, but also the chance to travel globally, learn, live and share in other cultures. He began his journey in Kathmandu, Nepal from 1974 - 1976. From there, he was transferred and moved with his family to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he spent 6 years, 1976 – 1982; then to Jakarta, Indonesia from 1982 – 1983, still with WHO. Later, he joined the United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) as a Project Officer, stationed in Hargeisa, Somalia, from 1983 – 1985; and finally, Zinder, Niger, from 1985 – 1987, after which he took an early retirement and returned home to Liberia.

His planned retirement was interrupted when he was appointed to head the SOS Kinderdorf International Village in Liberia as the Director/Village Father; a position he held until the civil war started in Liberia. Although the village was threatened, he risked his own life and protected the lives of the children until he safely and successfully helped to evacuate the children of the Village out of Liberia during the civil unrest. Once the children were safe in Freetown, Sierra Leone, he finally yielded to his own children’s pleas to migrate to the U.S. Whether planned or not, his travel to the US “coincided” with his wife’s Johnetta’s birthday, February 4, 1991; a gratifying birthday gift, considering the tumultuous time they experienced during the unrest in Liberia.

Mr. Hylton Richard Parkinson, Sr. of Lilburn, Georgia, a dedicated public servant, loving husband, supportive father, generous champion for disadvantaged children and a tireless humanitarian, died on Thursday, October 20, 2016, following a prolonged battle against Parkinson’s disease and other complications.

He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years of marriage, Johnnetta Leola Richardson-Parkinson; children and their spouses: Jerome and his wife Tonya, Hylton and his fiancée Reba Green, Elvira and her husband Greg Riles, Maisie and her husband Cacius Acolatse, Alvin and his wife Shawn; brothers: Joseph Parkinson Zuweh, Dr. George Parkinson Gonpu and Tyjan Parkinson; sisters: Ruth Parkinson Paye and Betty Parkinson; 21 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives in the US, Liberia, and other parts of the World. He was predeceased by a son Grandville, a daughter Laurie, a brother John Tarr, sisters Kathleen Parkinson-Bass and Jerusha Parkinson-Krai.