Kenneth Alan Parks

1950 - 2010

Kenneth Alan Parks
ANN ARBOR, Michigan– Kenneth Alan Parks passed away at Arbor Hospice in Ann Arbor Michigan on December 8, 2010 after a brief battle with cancer.
Ken was born in Lorain, Ohio on March 23, 1950 to John and Mary Ruth Parks. He attended Fairhome and Lakeview Elementary Schools, Irving Junior High School and Lorain High School. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force and served his country honorably during the Vietnam War as a loading master on cargo planes which flew supplies into the country and wounded or killed service men back to the U.S. After being discharged from the Air Force, he moved to Michigan where he lived in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. While in Ypsilanti, he attended Eastern Michigan University and eventually earned a BA in dance. In Ann Arbor he worked at Lotus Engineering and joined the Michigan National Guard, gaining the rank of Master Sergeant of a communications unit. At the outbreak of the war in Iraq, his unit was called up and he served 18 months overseas, primarily in Baghdad at Camp Victory.
Ken (AKA Kenny, Kendolane, Kensington, Kenny Parkman, and Sarge) enjoyed a wide variety of interests and activities. He began playing tennis in high school and was the Lorain Men's Tennis Champion for several years, playing right up until he entered the hospital. He also played croquet and won so often that his friends told him he should "go pro". He enjoyed canoeing, fishing, hiking, orienteering and (in the last years of his life) trapping. He ranged all over the Ann Arbor area setting traps for muskrat and raccoon and selling the pelts to supplement his income and satisfy his sense of adventure. Even after he was weakened by his disease he insisted on going out every day with a friend or one of his brothers to check his trap lines. Ken was also very active in his church, the Webster United Church of Christ in Dexter. He served on the Board of Trustees and was instrumental in creating their Community Garden with his good friend Connie Bank. This past summer they produced over 600 pounds of produce for the Food Gatherers organization which supplies local food banks. Ken was active with the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America and will have his name added to the roster of deceased Vietnam vets in Ypsilanti on Memorial Day next May. Something of a Renaissance man, Ken also loved Shakespeare and carried his well-worn copy of the plays and sonnets everywhere he went. He also loved Civil War history and spent many hours touring the battlefield sites when visiting his sister and her family in Virginia.
Ken was blessed by a loving family and a large circle of friends who have been a great source of comfort and support through this process. He is survived by his parents, his brothers Richard and Tom, his sister Barb, her husband Bruce and their two daughters Allison and Jamie, his niece Aura, her husband Chris and their infant son Eliot, and last but certainly not least, his faithful dog Shirley. Shirley became the unofficial mascot of the Community Living Center at the VA Hospital as well as Arbor Hospice where staff, patients and visitors spoiled her with treats and attention. Special friends include Jeff and Diane and their children, Rita, Connie, Steve and Judy, Tad and Wanda, Susan, Ed, Richard, Eloise, Don and the other members of his Bible study group. These people have been a great source of love and help to Ken and his family and we are eternally grateful to them.
Ken was visited by many veterans both during his stay at the VA Hospital and at hospice, and their concern was greatly appreciated. The family would also like to thank the staff at the VA Hospital in Ann Arbor, especially in the CLC, and the staff at Arbor Hospice who treated Ken with care and dignity during the last days of his life.
Ken's last wish was to be cremated and his ashes spread in his beloved Huron River.
Funeral arrangements are pending - please check his Caringbridge site for details. The site is: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kenparks.