Swarthmore Friends Meeting

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

 

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Memorial Minute for Curt Parker

M. Curtis Parker, Jr., of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, died peacefully at home on February 28, 2011, at the age of 75.  Curt was born in San Diego , CA , to Milton Curtis Parker, Sr. and Margaret Blair West Parker.  His mother was a descendant of the neoclassical Quaker painter, Benjamin West, who was born in a building on Swarthmore campus. Curt spent his summers at the West family farm in Maryland . There he acquired a love of animals that continued throughout his life.  The family always had cats at home. The cats lived THE life. As a young boy, Curt moved to Ocean City , NJ , where he graduated from Ocean City High School in 1955.  Throughout his life he was drawn to the ocean; he wants his ashes scattered there.

Curt attended Ursinus College in Pennsylvania . He worked as a postman and taxi driver during college summers. Curt met his future wife, Mary Lou Mööck at Ursinus College .  He graduated in 1959 with a degree in Business Administration and then earned his certification as a CPA.  He maintained many of his college friends for life.  His daughters often thought of them as distant “family” members.  After he and Mary Lou were married, they moved to Sao Paulo , Brazil , where he served as Tax Management Consultant for Touche Ross.  After returning to the United States , he worked for Wawa Corporation as the Vice President of the Maurice River Company in Millville , NJ .  In 1980 he joined the accounting firm of Elko, Fisher, McCabe and Rudman in Media , PA.

Curt wanted to raise his family in the Quaker manner of the West Family. The family chose to live in Swarthmore near his work in Media.  Curt and Mary Lou joined Swarthmore Friends Meeting in 1983 where their daughters attended First Day School . His daughters were always proud that their Father provided a wonderful home and didn’t define himself by his physical handicaps. They remember him saying, “If you don’t ask or you don’t try, you don’t get.” He was civic minded, and, even though he could not attend the Borough Meetings, he watched his wife on the Borough Cable TV. He resided in Swarthmore for 32 years.

Curt is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary Lou; a brother, Franklin Parker of Mays Landing, NJ; daughter, Wendy Owen (Paul) of Fort Bragg , NC ; and daughter, Sheri Parker (Ed White) and grandchildren James Curtis White and Taylor Blair White of Kensington, MD.

A Memorial Service was held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2011, at the Swarthmore Friends Meetinghouse, 12 Whittier Place Swarthmore , PA 19081 .  In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Swarthmore Friends Meetinghouse.