Floyd Rudolph “Rusty” Parker, age 92, of Killen, passed away July 10, 2018 following a brief illness. His memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church, 415 North Seminary Street, Florence, Alabama on Saturday, July 14, with visitation at noon in the church atrium and service at 2 p.m. in the church sanctuary with Reverend Dr. Robert M. Weldon and Reverend Chris Weldon officiating. Burial will immediately follow in Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens.
Rusty Parker was born on April 26, 1927 in Columbus, Mississippi. He later moved with his family to Walnut Street in Florence and graduated from Coffee High School in 1944. Below the legal age at 17 years old, he secured parental permission to join the United States Navy where he served four years of active duty in the South Pacific until World War II ended. Following his military service, Mr. Parker enrolled at Florence State College and upon graduation, he taught in the Lauderdale County Public School System for nine years at Oakland, Waterloo, and Central schools. Then he served 27 years in the Florence City Public School System as the principal of Forest Hills Elementary and Junior High School. Mr. Parker was an active member of First United Methodist Church of Florence. An original member of the Ferguson Sunday School, he served for years as its president and also directed music for the class. A charter member of the Muscle Shoals chapter of The Antique Car Club of America, Mr. Parker enjoyed collecting and restoring antique cars and traveled several years with local antique car enthusiasts to Hershey, Pennsylvania, for the organization’s annual national car show in the fall. He also collected antique jukeboxes and enjoyed fishing and boating. He is preceded in death by his parents, John Gale and Lottie Parker; his beloved wives, Jean Tackett Parker and Louise Morrissey Parker; and his brother, John Gale Parker.
Survivors include his son, Samuel Floyd Parker; his granddaughter, Caroline Parker; his nephew, Jud Parker; and his dog Max the Wonder Dog.
Serving as pallbearers are Joe Dill, Jimmy Thompson, Jud Parker, Pat Ray, Terry Smith and Price Harrison. Honorary pallbearers are Henry Nichols, Sam Rice, Dr. Joe Thomas and Tom McCutcheon.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church Ferguson Sunday school class, First United Methodist Church, 415 North Seminary Street, Florence, AL 35630.
You may sign the quest register at sprywilliams.com Spry-Williams Funeral Home directing.
