Obituary of Gordon Parker

Gordon Howard Parker was born in Evanston, IL on January 30, 1920 and died peacefully on January 13 in Eugene, Oregon. He was raised in Rochester, New York by Lester Ward Parker and Katherine Howard Parker. He graduated in 1940 from Union College, Schenectedy, New York. Right after college he went into the Army Air Corps. After he got his commission, he married Elizabeth Hanna on December 29, 1942 in Rochester, NY. He was immediately given a series of assignments as a radar officer and then given command of the First Radio Squadron in India and Assam. He went overseas to install radar in airplanes that were flying over the "hump". After he returned from the war he got his master's degree in Public Administration from Syracuse University. After graduation, he was offered a job at the Port of New York Authority. He moved with his small family to Long Island, NY where his second son was born. He was with the Port of New York Authority until 1951 when he was offered a job with the Ford Foundation. After four years he was asked to move to India, where the Foundation was working on a second five year plan with the Government of India. The family lived there for almost four years. He was then offered a job with Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in Menlo Park, California where he spent the rest of his career. He retired from SRI in 1982. He and Betty moved to Eugene in 1990 and built a lovely home for themselves. He enjoyed the study of trains, their schedules and history. He loved to travel and as part of the international relations team at SRI he traveled extensively in Japan and England and Europe. In general he was a happy man who enjoyed his life. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Elizabeth Hanna Parker; a daughter, Cynthia Ward Parker of Spokane, Washington; two sons, James Gordon Parker of Santa Fe, New Mexico and David Hanna Parker of Roseburg, Oregon; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.Gordon ParkerGordon Howard Parker of Eugene died Jan. 13 of age-related causes. He was 90. A memorial service is planned for later.He was born Jan. 30, 1920, in Evanston, Ill., to Lester and Katharine Howard Parker. He married Elizabeth Hanna on Dec. 29, 1942, in Rochester, N.Y.He held a bachelor’s degree from Union College and a master’s degree from Syracuse University. He served as a first lieutenant in the Air Force as a radar officer. He worked as an executive with the Ford Foundation and Stanford Research Institute.Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Cynthia Parker of Spokane; two sons, James of Santa Fe, N.M., and David of Roseburg; a brother, Robert of Boulder, Colo.; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.Arrangements by Musgrove Family Mortuary in Eugene. Remembrances to Doctors Without Borders or Southern Poverty Law Center.