Kia Sonata Parks

KIA SONATA PARKS, (nee Grant), age 56, of Parma, Ohio, left this world on October 21, 2025, surrounded in love with her family by her side.
Born on February 23, 1969, in Cleveland, Ohio, Kia is the daughter of Edward and Barbara Grant. She had a way of making people feel at ease, like they'd known her forever, and that gift never faded.
A 1987 graduate of Lumen Cordium High School in Bedford, Ohio, Kia went on to earn her degree in Elementary Education from Heidelberg College in 1992. She advanced her education with two master's degrees: one from John Carroll University in Education Administration and one from Nova Southeastern University in Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology. Education wasn't just her career; it was her calling.
Kia taught at Case Elementary School in Cleveland for 25 years and at Memorial School in Cleveland for 8 years, where generations of students learned more than just social studies and English. They learned kindness, patience, and that their teacher truly cared about them. When she retired from Memorial School in May 2025, she left behind a legacy of love, laughter, and heartfelt memories from students who will never forget her.
Kia was preceded in death by her uncle John Holmes, beloved brother Bruce Grant, and her sweet puppies Napoleon and Bolt. She's survived by her loving husband, Les Parks, her parents, Edward and Barbara Grant, her adored son, Ethan Grant, her nieces Jacque and Karmella Grant, her nephew Tyler Holmes, her godchildren Juls and John-Michael Hopkins, her godson Morrio Green IV, and her many "sisters in bond" - Maureen Carlson, Kimberly Duffy, Emily Crocker, Sally Hopkins, and Christa Smith - who were family in every way that mattered.
Those who knew Kia will remember her endless patience, her genuine care for others, and her ability to make everyone feel like they belonged. She loved a good IPA, crime shows, and the classic movie, Jaws. She was deeply devoted to her son, fiercely loyal to her friends, and dedicated to her husband - the true love of her life.
Kia's light was warm, steady, and impossible to miss. She brought laughter to ordinary days and love to everyone lucky enough to cross her path. Though she's gone too soon, her spirit shines brightly in the people and places she touched - and in every student who left her classroom a little braver, a little kinder, and a lot more loved.
In the words of her favorite singer, Barbara Streisand "Life is a moment in space…In love there is no measure of time." That sentiment is true for how she loved her family, friends, and students.

Friends may call at LATEK & RYBICKI, a GOLDEN RULE FUNERAL HOME, 7906 BROADVIEW RD. (corner of Broadview and Sprague Rds.), where services will be held Wednesday, October 29, at 7:00 PM. VISITING HOURS: WEDNESDAY 4:00 PM until time of service.