Edward F. Parker of Hingham, Massachusetts, died on June 17. He was 86.
Born on December 16, 1921, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Parker was a graduate of Arlington High School. He held a B.A. in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University and a M.S. in Management Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Mr. Parker was a proud WWII veteran, retiring as a Lt. Colonel from the Army Reserves after 29 years of service. He was also a graduate of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Mr. Parker joined the engineering staff at General Electric in 1948. During his distinguished career with G.E. he served in several management capacities in Massachusetts and New York. He retired to Cape Cod with his wife, Ruth, in 1984.
In his 25 years on the Cape, he was a familiar face in Dennis, particularly on Cold Storage Beach. He was a jazz aficionado, sharing his passion with family and friends, many of whom were well-known musicians. He was a member of the Jazz Society of Sarasota, Florida, and the Cape Cod Jazz Society, which he served as vice-president. Mr. parker was also a member of the Mount Horeb Lodge A.F. & A.M. in South Dennis
In addition to his passion for jazz, Mr. Parker was a life-long athlete. He began running competitively at Arlington High School and went on to be a part of several nationally ranked teams at Northeastern where he was captain of the cross-country squad for two years. He continued running competitively into his 60s. Even after his recent move to Linden Pond in Hingham, was quick to join the walking club.
In his own estimation, Mr. Parker’s greatest accomplishment was his family. He is survived by Ruth, his beloved wife of 65 years; son Edward and daughter-in-law Karen of Andover, MA; daughter Cathy MacFarlane and son-in-law Scott of Needham, MA; grandson E. Christian Parker of Brooklyn, NY; granddaughter Holly Parker of North Andover, MA; granddaughter Susannah Parker and great-granddaughter Carolyn Parker of Andover, MA; granddaughter Heather MacFarlane of West Roxbury, MA; and grandson Scott MacFarlane and his fiancé Monica Lordelo of Milton, MA.
Funeral Services will be held at the Dennis Union Church, corner of Rte 6A and Old Bass River Road, East Dennis on Monday June 23 at 11:00 AM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Interment at MA National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations in Ed’s name may be made to he Alzheimer’s Assoc. 311 Arsenal St, Watertown MA 02472 or to the Dennis Union Church, PO Box 2020, Dennis MA 02638. Arrangements by the Eaton Funeral Home Needham.