Rev. Larry Michael Parker

Larry Michael Parker was born in Fresno, and raised in Sacramento, California. He spent his life in music and ministry. He was a graduate of Grant Union High School where he learned to play the trumpet and was active in the marching band. He honed his musical talent at his childhood church, Calvary Tabernacle. There he spent many happy hours playing his trumpet and singing with his family and friends.
After marrying as a young man, he moved to Manteca, California to work on the railroads. During his time in Manteca his children were born, Ryan and Lindsey. Wherever he was, Larry always found a church to be a part of and play his music in. He was also involved in community theater, learning the ins and outs of the theater arts while playing many parts, including the roguish Professor Harold Hill in, The Music Man. He learned to work with tight knit harmonies while touring with The Singing Brass.
Larry told the story many times of hiking in the mountains of Yosemite and clearly hearing God s call to go into the ministry. He enrolled in a local college to study music and eventually began what would be the first of many roles in the ministry as the music minister at Calvary Baptist in Manteca. He served in this role for six years.
His musical talents eventually led him to Atlanta, Georgia. There he continued to study theology and work in the ministry. He was a graduate of Candler School of Theology Course of Study for Pastoral Certification at Emory University. For fourteen years, he served as the Associate Pastor and Minister of Music at Sugarloaf United Methodist Church in Duluth, Georgia. While at Sugarloaf, he grew the adult choir from 6 to 85 members, oversaw three onstage bands, and was the Executive Producer of five recording projects with the choir. Larry continued his work in the ministry by founding Ignite Church in Suwanee, Georgia. He served as the Senior Paster for 10 years.
A single parent for many years, Larry met the love of his life, Joanie. They combined their families and were married for 25 years. Larry always spoke of Joanie s beauty and goodness and how fortunate he and Ryan were to have her and Kevin in their lives.
Those who knew Larry growing up will recall the great pleasure that he took in timing a joke so well that you would double over with laughter or to sing a song so moving that it would bring you to tears.
After a long illness, Larry is with his heavenly Father singing, playing his trumpet, and rejoicing with his loved ones who have gone on before.
Larry is survived by his wife, Joan A. Parker; sons, Ryan Parker and Kevin McCoy; and granddaughter, Susannah. Larry also leaves behind his mother, Blanche (Jim) Pankratz; sister, Susan (Roman) Bonczek; nephew, Roman Bonczek, nieces Julia and Lauren Bonczek; brother-in-law, Roger Arrington and sister-in-law, Linda Arrington.
Services celebrating Larry s life will be conducted on Sunday, the 31 of July, 2022 at two o clock in the afternoon at Crowell Brothers Funeral Home and Cremation Services Buford Chapel, 201 Morningside Drive, Buford, GA 30518, 770-945-9999. The service will be livestreamed at https://vimeo.com/733773467 Friends are cordially invited to a reception with the family following the service at the funeral home.
In Lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Sheltering Arms, the standard for early childhood education, https://shelteringarmsforkids.com/donations-in-memory-of-pastor-larry-parker