Dr. Walter Raleigh Parker, Jr.
January 25, 1930 ~ February 8, 2023
ROCKY MOUNT – Dr. Walter Raleigh Parker, Jr., age 93, passed away on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 Born in Woodland, NC on January 25, 1930, he was the son of the late Dr. Walter Raleigh Parker, Sr. and Mary Ella Copeland Parker. He was also preceded in death by his sisters, Gwendolyn Copeland Parker Reinhardt and Margaret “Mart” Parker Hill; and his niece, Gwendolyn Lassiter.
A member of First United Methodist Church of Rocky Mount, Walter devoted his life to education. He was a graduate of Old Wake Forest, received his master’s from East Carolina University and his PhD from UNC Chapel Hill. He loved his hometown of Woodland and cherished his family.Walter is survived by his partner of 57 years, Bill Thomas of Rocky Mount; his nieces, Mary Iva Gray and husband Jim and Jane Wolfskill and husband Ken; his nephew, Bill Hill; and a host of great and great-great nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Service to celebrate Walter’s life will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 11:00 AM in the Chapel of Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 1130 N. Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. A Graveside Service will be held following the service at 2:00 PM at the Old Woodland Cemetery, in Woodland, NC. Visitation with the family will be prior to the service from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM inside the Atrium of Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Woodland Baptist Church, 112 W Main St, Woodland, NC 27897 or to First United Methodist Church of Rocky Mount, 100 S Church St, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.
Arrangements entrusted to Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1130 N. Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 27804. You may share memories and condolences with the family by visiting www.wheelerwoodlief.com.
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Condolences to his family.
Dr. Walter R. Parker,Jr. Has Been A Special Friend To Us For Many, Many Years. He Was Very Important And Involved With All Of Our Family Members And Was Greatly Loved By All Of Us. Ours Hearts Are Broken That We Haven’t Been Able To See Him Or Visit With Him In Recent Years.
We Are Also Greatly Grieved That We Won’t Be Able To Attend Walt’s Services Due To Physical Issues On Our Part. We Will Be With All Of The Family Members And Friends In Spirit And Thought. We Will Miss Walt More Than Words Can Express.
Our Love And Prayers ❤️💜🙏📖✝️💜
Carolyn, Dickie And Marshall Bolton
(Bill Thomas’s Sister)
Midlothian, Virginia
John 11:25-26 KJV
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Walt will be missed by many people, especially those of us who cherished his friendship through our neighborhood. He was a smart, kind gentleman. May God richly bless Bill and members of the family.
I had the pleasure of knowing Walt Parker for decades. He was such a people person who always had kind things to say. He never failed to ask about my family and was always interested in my daughter’s education and career path. Even though we haven’t seen each other much in recent years, we spoke on the phone occasionally. I will miss Walt’s friendship.
RIP my friend.
To you, the family of Dr. Parker, we send our condolences and lift our prayers of comfort. We got to know this gentle and kind man about a year and a half ago. We talked on the phone many times and had the blessing of meeting him in person at his home in Rocky Mount. Through sharing together, we learned of his education and service to others through his career and how much he loved those experiences. But most importantly, he shared about his love for his family, past and present and his love for his church. We are thankful that our paths crossed and we were able to share our lives together, at least for a brief time. Dennis and Linda Bazemore, Ahoskie
Walt was one of best people I have ever known. He was intelligent, compassionate & the epitome of a southern gentleman! He left a great legacy & one I will truly miss!
Oh how sweet and kind man you were!! I will miss you Mr Parker and our talks about going to the beach!! But now you take that walk down the beach for both of us!,❤️ Pam