1919
Arthur
2010
Arthur B. "Red" Parks
November 22, 1919 — September 6, 2010
Arthur B. (Red) Parks, 90, passed away on September 6, 2010, at his home in Tulsa OK. His memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 9, 2010, at First Baptist Church located at Fourth and Detroit in downtown Tulsa. Services are under the direction of Musgrove-Merriott-Smith Funeral Service & Crematory, Claremore.
Parks was born November 22, 1919, in Chelsea, OK, to Edgar Granville Parks and Nora Belle Cross Parks, the third of five children. He graduated from Chelsea High School in 1938 where he lettered in football and basketball for the Green Dragons. He attended Coffeyville Junior College for one year before transferring to Northeastern State College, Tahlequah. Parks was a student there until September 1941 when he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Parks served as staff sergeant of the 358th Fighter Group, 367th Fighter Squadron, 9th Air Force. After training and teaching troops in Colorado, Parks was sent to England in October 1943. He entered France at Normandy Beach on June 30, 1944, and also served in the Battle of the Bulge.
Parks returned to the U.S. in August 1945 and immediately proposed to Gertie Marie Brown, his high school sweetheart. They married on December 14, 1945, in Oklahoma City, and the following month Parks started classes at the University of Oklahoma.
He graduated from OU in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. Parks was a registered pharmacist at Tulsa’s Raley Shaddock Pharmacy for 20 years and at Glass Nelson Clinic Pharmacy for 17 years. He retired in 1985.
Post-retirement, Parks and his brothers made Claremore’s Heritage Hills Golf Club their Monday through Friday morning place of business. Their antics, holes-in-one and daily race to be the first to tee-off became legendary.
Parks was passionate about his family and his faith, and he was an active member and volunteer at First Baptist Church Tulsa for more than 60 years. He enjoyed being a sports fan, encouraging his grandchildren, doing projects at the lake, and supporting medical research.
He was preceded in death by his parents, as well as by two brothers, James W. Parks and Charles L. Parks, and one sister, Mary Rives Parks Dickson.
He is survived by Gertie Marie Parks, his wife of almost 65 years; son Stephen B. Parks and daughter-in-law Jo Nelle Langdon Parks of Tulsa; daughter Susan Parks Dornblaser and son-in-law John D. Dornblaser of Tulsa; one brother Gene Granville Parks of Inola; sisters -in-law Marion Kniskern Parks of Claremore and Virginia Carter Parks of Inola; brother-in-law John J. Brown of Tulsa; grandchildren Annell M. Dornblaser and Edward B. Dornblaser, both of Tulsa; step-grandchildren Stephanie Shearer Jimison and husband Jon of Tulsa, and Drew Shearer of Oklahoma City. Survivors also include three nephews, 11 nieces, one step-great grandson, and numerous other great nieces and nephews.
Interment at Chelsea Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 N.E. 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 ( www.OMRF.org ).
Parks was born November 22, 1919, in Chelsea, OK, to Edgar Granville Parks and Nora Belle Cross Parks, the third of five children. He graduated from Chelsea High School in 1938 where he lettered in football and basketball for the Green Dragons. He attended Coffeyville Junior College for one year before transferring to Northeastern State College, Tahlequah. Parks was a student there until September 1941 when he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Parks served as staff sergeant of the 358th Fighter Group, 367th Fighter Squadron, 9th Air Force. After training and teaching troops in Colorado, Parks was sent to England in October 1943. He entered France at Normandy Beach on June 30, 1944, and also served in the Battle of the Bulge.
Parks returned to the U.S. in August 1945 and immediately proposed to Gertie Marie Brown, his high school sweetheart. They married on December 14, 1945, in Oklahoma City, and the following month Parks started classes at the University of Oklahoma.
He graduated from OU in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. Parks was a registered pharmacist at Tulsa’s Raley Shaddock Pharmacy for 20 years and at Glass Nelson Clinic Pharmacy for 17 years. He retired in 1985.
Post-retirement, Parks and his brothers made Claremore’s Heritage Hills Golf Club their Monday through Friday morning place of business. Their antics, holes-in-one and daily race to be the first to tee-off became legendary.
Parks was passionate about his family and his faith, and he was an active member and volunteer at First Baptist Church Tulsa for more than 60 years. He enjoyed being a sports fan, encouraging his grandchildren, doing projects at the lake, and supporting medical research.
He was preceded in death by his parents, as well as by two brothers, James W. Parks and Charles L. Parks, and one sister, Mary Rives Parks Dickson.
He is survived by Gertie Marie Parks, his wife of almost 65 years; son Stephen B. Parks and daughter-in-law Jo Nelle Langdon Parks of Tulsa; daughter Susan Parks Dornblaser and son-in-law John D. Dornblaser of Tulsa; one brother Gene Granville Parks of Inola; sisters -in-law Marion Kniskern Parks of Claremore and Virginia Carter Parks of Inola; brother-in-law John J. Brown of Tulsa; grandchildren Annell M. Dornblaser and Edward B. Dornblaser, both of Tulsa; step-grandchildren Stephanie Shearer Jimison and husband Jon of Tulsa, and Drew Shearer of Oklahoma City. Survivors also include three nephews, 11 nieces, one step-great grandson, and numerous other great nieces and nephews.
Interment at Chelsea Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 N.E. 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 ( www.OMRF.org ).
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Arthur B. "Red" Parks, please visit our flower store.
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