David James Parker

David James Parker

Eager to be reunited with his beloved wife, David James Parker passed away on Dec. 14, 2017 of natural causes. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Stewart, wife, Wyoma, and daughter, Laura Jo.  Dave was born Sept. 14, 1933 in Santa Barbara, Calif. Three years later, his family moved to Logan, Utah where Dave grew up while working with his father’s business, AH Parker Awning. As a young boy, he became fascinated with radio, learned to build his own and later became active in Amateur Radio (HAM). He excelled in swimming and football, eventually earning a college scholarship.

He met Wyoma in high school and married her Dec. 17, 1954 in the Salt Lake Temple. Facing the possibility of the Korean draft, Dave passed exams to qualify for flight school and was commissioned in the US Air Force. After his active duty tour, he returned to college (USU) and completed a degree in education which led to a position teaching math in junior high. However, he was soon offered a full-time position with the Air National Guard where he served until his retirement in 1989 at the rank of Lt. Colonel. His assignments frequently included visits to Hawaii, where he would purchase cases of pineapples to give to friends and neighbors. More recently he made a point of carrying mints to give to others while at church or in the temple.

Those who knew Dave for any length of time discovered that his wonderful, if quirky, sense of humor permeated every aspect of his life. He delighted in making others smile and laugh in even the most serious of circumstances. Dave was deeply committed to serving others, usually as quietly as possible, and continually looked for such opportunities. We will likely never know all the ways he helped those in whom he saw a need. Dave was very active in the LDS Church all his life and wanted to serve a mission for the LDS Church, but was prevented by the Korean War. As soon as he retired, he and his wife were called to serve in Portugal even though it required learning a new language. Their service was the highlight of his life and involved several leadership positions over several years and included working with the people of Cabo Verde.

He is survived by his son Bruce (Janalee), daughters Rebecca Wheeler (Dennis), Jill Parker, Shaula Holt (Kelly) and Milena Cooper (Ben) and brothers Robert and Alan. Funeral services will be Wednesday, December 20 at 11AM with a viewing at 10AM. The address of the church is 1540 North 400 East, Bountiful, UT. A viewing will be at 6 PM on Tuesday, Dec. 19 Russon Brothers Mortuary (295 North Main St., Bountiful). David will be interred in the Providence City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, David would prefer that people use the money to pay tithing or serve someone in need.