Gilbert Parker Jr.

Gilbert "Gil" E. Parker Jr.
(June 4, 1956 — January 3, 2025)


On the afternoon of Friday, January 3rd, Gil Parker passed away after a four-month battle with cancer. He passed on peacefully, comforted by family at Duke Hospital in Raleigh. He was 68 years old.

Gil was preceded in death by his parents, Gilbert and Phyllis Parker of Allenstown, NH, and mother-in-law Doris McNamara of Springfield, VT. He is survived by his wife Judi (McNamara) Parker, sons Ed (Angelica) Parker and Dave (Katy) Parker; and five grandchildren who adored him: Nathan, Eva, Lucas, Amelia, and Luna. He is also survived by his sisters Joyce Morrissey and her husband Patrick, Alice Brokos, Janice Bonenfant and her husband Bob; a brother-in-law, Phil Brokos, and many nieces and nephews.

Gil was born in Springfield, where he lived throughout his childhood. At age 16, he met Judi, the love of his life. The two later married and started a family in Wilton, NH. When he accepted a position as technical support engineer for Northern Telecom in RTP, they moved to North Carolina where they lived until his passing. Gil and Judi spent 45 years building a simple and joyful life together. They were best friends.

Gil was an active, loving father who raised his sons balancing hard work and discipline with the lighter things in life like fishing, canoeing, and enjoying jokes by a fireside. He was a DIY-er, tinkerer, gardener, and technology enthusiast. Later in life, he worked as a handyman — always willing to help with any project or challenge. But no title brought him more joy than that of "Papa". Until his final days, Gil played a central part in his grandchildren's life helping care for them, driving them to practice or events, sharing endless laughs, and always teaching them new things. He was his family's rock, and for this they will be forever grateful.

A celebration of life will be held in Raleigh in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital by pasting the following URL into your browser:

https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Memorials/Memorials?px=8689727&pg=personal&fr_id=154020