Brad Parker

Memorial Services for Mr. Brad Parker, 61, of Marshall, Texas will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, January 16, 2022, at Haggard Funeral Home, Jefferson, Texas.  The family will receive friends from 4:00 - 6:00 pm on Saturday, January 15, 2022, in the Captain WM Perry Chapel of Haggard Funeral Home in Jefferson, Texas.

John Bradley Parker did all of his talking to God outside. He was a man who truly lived. He was a hard worker. He provided for his family and was a selfless friend to many. He was an unconditionally loving family member. He sacrificed regularly for his family and his loved ones. He always came through for his daughters and his wife in times of need and if he couldn’t physically be there, he had someone in place who would come to their rescue. Brad was born on June 06, 1960, which remained a running joke throughout his life, but on January 12, 2022, he began his everlasting life with the Lord in Heaven after a particularly brutal battle with cancer. Although the cancer ultimately took Brad's life he fought valiantly to stay with his family and to provide each day with meaning. Brad was an exceptional golfer beginning in high school where he and his best friend since the eighth grade, Jody Scrivner, became lifelong golfing partners. “Snadley”, as Jody would call him, graduated from Western Hills High School in Fort Worth, Texas in 1978. In 1997 he won two match play tournaments in the same year, The Lakeside Championship Tournament, and the Oaklawn Championship. In the summer of 2021 Oaklawn Municipal golf course held their annual Tracy Finley Memorial Golf Tournament which helps to benefit locals affected by cancer, this event was a perfect testament to the irreplaceable friend Brad was especially to those in the golfing community as they raised more money than they had in past years while also having more entries than the tournament had seen in years. So many of Brad’s past teammates and opponents came to play and support Brad as that year’s honoree. Brad was an avid deer hunter who believed in cooking your kill. Brad gave forty years of his life to Union Pacific Railroad Company beginning in the mechanical department then transferring to signal maintenance and finishing his career as a maintenance foreman. He cared very much for each of his “gang” members who affectionately called him peepaw. This name was carried on by his family through his early retirement. Brad was most at home outdoors. He loved to get mad at the cowboys. He loved grilling a perfect steak for his girls, and he never said no when someone asked for help. 

Brad is preceded in death by his mother Dorothy Melton Parker, his father John Byron Parker Jr. and his brother-in-law Jimmy Finklea. His loved ones who are left to live out his legacy are his loving wife of 34 years Debbie Parker, his two daughters Chelsea Parker, Abby Loyd and husband Colton; His twin sisters Terry Ennis and husband Ronnie, Cherry Parrish and husband Don; two nieces Karis Locke and husband Heath, Shelly Reynolds and husband Mark; Two great nieces Kannan Reynolds and Annie Locke and one great nephew Byron Locke; along with special family friends David Armstrong, Jason Armstrong, Jackie, Jace and “baby” Gage. Brad had too many friends to count but we would be remiss not to mention Kevin and Cheryl Owens as well as the love and care of Jess “uncle jody” Scrivner. We could never have gotten through this without you, and you never ceased to provide Brad with a measure of joy that is so consistently needed. Our family has been overwhelmed with love, help and support throughout Brad’s illness. Brad’s love language was definitely acts of service and we have experienced love through acts of service over and over from his loved ones in a time that we needed it most. 

We would like to thank Marshall Homecare & Hospice. We would like to thank The Sandra White Hospice Care Foundation. We would like to thank Susan Cherry for her patience, her knowledge, and her constant encouragement. We would like to thank Tiffany Ford for her patience, her gentleness, and her ability to always keep Brad’s spirits up. We would also like to thank Paula Garrett. We would like to thank our sitters Kay Evans Cole and Raelyn Heath for always taking the good with the bad. We would also like to thank Karen Bloodworth for making sure our home stayed a cozy environment for our last memories to be made. 

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Jerry Williams, Don Parrish, Jason Armstrong, David Armstrong, Percy Alexander, Royce Farris, Jess Scivner, Kevin Owens, and Barry Huffman.

In lieu of flowers we request that donations be made to The Sandra White Hospice Care Foundation at 111 East Burleson Street Marshall, Texas 75670 or by Venmo @SWHCF, to Cypress Valley Bible Church 4190 West Pinecrest Drive Marshall, Texas 75670 or to A Touch Of Pink 100 W. Grand Ave. Suite A. Marshall, Tx, 75670.

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