Charles Parker

E Charles Parker

Edwin Charles Parker passed away March 2, 2023, in Logan, Utah at the age of 96. He passed away from complications attendant to old age.  He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Jean Ann Taylor.  He is survived by children: Kathy (John) Walker, Suzann (John) Winn, Russell (Kathleen - deceased) (LaNoma), Steven (MaryJo), and Curtis (Alison).  He is also survived by 23 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren.  He is preceded in death by his parents: Levi Cox Parker and Marietta Parkinson; daughter: Annette (their fifth child); brothers: Levi Mayland, Don Timothy, Carlton Henry, and John Carlyle.

Charles was born in Hooper, Utah on July 19, 1926.  Charles attended Hooper Elementary for three years before the family moved to Roy, Utah. He attended Roy Elementary, Riverdale Junior High and graduated from Weber High School in 1944. He had interest in choral groups and played the bass horn in the school band.

Soon after high school, he enlisted in the Merchant Marines and served for two years on board a cargo ship carrying supplies in the Pacific during and after World War II.  He was a boiler tender and very good with a shovel.  This likely explains his future career choices - no shovels.  In October 1948 Elder Parker was called to serve a two year mission in the Northern States Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Charles went to Weber Jr. College before his mission and returned to Weber when he came home. He sat on the back row in his church Institute of Religion class and spent most of his time looking at the pretty girl with auburn hair sitting on the front row. He finally got up enough nerve to ask her out on a date. Their first date was to the mortuary to view her grandfather, Levi Taylor.  Charles and Jean Ann Taylor were married in the Salt Lake Temple, March 29, 1951.  He was faithful in his marriage to the end.  In 72 years of marriage, he never once removed his wedding band. 

Soon after he married, he was drafted into the United States Army and went to school for medical/psychiatric training for the Korean War. He spent his deployment as a typist in a hospital in Tokyo, something he was happy for since he had to leave behind his wife and first child.  After his service in the Korean War, he continued to serve in the Army Reserve until he completed eight years of total service.  He finished his bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah in 1955.

Charles' first job was Office Manager and Salesman at Glen Brothers Music in Ogden. He decided to change careers and taught business classes at Bonneville High School in Ogden and later at Clearfield High. After receiving his master’s degree from USU, he worked for the Utah State Board of Education as a business education specialist.  He later received his EdD with a federal fellowship grant at UCLA.  He went on to teach at USU and ended his career working for the Real Estate Division of the church, retiring at age 70.

He was always active in his religion having served in many teaching and administrative positions including as a Bishop in the Roy 8th Ward, the Bountiful 30th Ward, and as a counselor in the Simi Valley California Stake Presidency.  He and Jean served a Humanitarian Mission in Chennai India and as ushers at the church’s Conference Center in Salt Lake City. In later years he spent a lot of time doing indexing for FamilySearch.

Charles loved music and was known for his singing ability.  He was frequently asked to perform at various ward sacrament meetings.  He also played the Sousaphone, the trombone, and Claire de Lune on the piano (the only song he knew)

Charles also loved sports especially basketball which he played often into his 60’s.  His “shovel shot” was deadly.  His dream job after retirement was security at the Delta Center where he could see the Jazz games and hang out with the players. 

His other, after retirement, dream job was as a driver at the auto auction.  He would drive various cars from the lot into the arena where they would be displayed to those bidding on the cars.  He loved to drive and got to drive a lot of fancy cars.

He was very inventive, always thinking out of the box about better ways of doing things.  He also spent a lot of time doing woodwork building various things he sold on eBay as well as wooden toys for charity.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, March 30, 2023, at the Rolling Hills Ward Chapel where he and Jean attended church services for a number of years - 2110 N. Main St., Centerville, Utah, with visitation from 9:00 -10:30 am prior to services. 

Charles will be buried with military honors in the Hooper City Cemetery near his parents and brother Don.  Graveside service will begin at 2:00.

Services will be live streamed and may be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of Charles’s obituary page.

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