Richard Sherwin Parker

Richard Sherwin Parker Dick Parker of Ames passed away Saturday, November 9, 2013, at Mary Greeley Medical Center from complications of pneumonia. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 16th in Chet Ryan Mortuary, 708 5th Street in Nevada, with a family viewing one hour prior to the services. Burial will follow in the Nevada Municipal Cemetery. Dick was born to Doryce (Wright) and Russell Parker on February 5, 1926, in Fargo, North Dakota, and was raised in Des Moines. He graduated from Des Moines Technical High School in 1944, and entered the US Navy during World War II as a motor machinist mate. He married Juanita C. Larson in 1947 and they had two children, Randall Sherwin and Tamara Marie. Dick graduated from Iowa State University in mechanical engineering in 1950. He began his career at Viking Pump Company in Cedar Falls, working as a product engineer, district manager, regional manager, vice president of marketing, and eventually became president of the company in 1976. His work took the family full circle from Cedar Falls, Milwaukee, Chicago, and back to Cedar Falls. He retired as Executive Vice President after 39 years of service in...[more]

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89, and moved to Ames in 1993, joining the Green Hills Community. He belonged to the Adelante Fraternity, the US Naval Reserves, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He enjoyed history, woodworking, baseball, golf, swimming, and coin collecting. He loved traveling throughout the US in his motorhome with his wife. In one of their most memorable trips, they followed the Lewis and Clark Trail. He also traveled for work and with his family throughout Europe, Asia and South America. He was a loving husband and father, a hard-working provider who led by example. He was active in all aspects of his children's daily lives, despite his job responsibilities. He had a sense of humor which surprised many. He treated everyone he met with dignity and was well-respected by his many colleagues and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Juanita after 61 years of marriage; and his son, Randy in July of this year, as well as his mother and father. He will be lovingly remembered by his daughter, Tamara (Kelly) Ward, daughter-in-law Pat (Randy-deceased) Parker; three grandchildren, Courtney (Brandon) Dunmire, Alexander Ward; Benjamin Ward; sister Lauretta (Del) Eggers, two great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may be made to the Iowa State University Foundation, or the Arthritis Foundation. The family would like to thank the Green Hills Health Care Center staff for their loving care of Dick. Chet Ryan Mortuary in Nevada has been entrusted with the care of Dick and his family.