Gary David Parker

1945 - 2025

Gary David Parker

Jun 19, 1945 - Mar 11, 2025

Gary David Parker, 79, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Gary was born on June 19, 1945 to Edward Fuller Parker and Marie Shedrick Parker in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Gary attended school in Muskogee, graduating from Muskogee Central High School in 1963. He went on to graduate from Northeastern State College with a double major in accounting and economics in 1968. Gary was a member of the Phi Sigma Epsilon fraternity. While attending Northeastern he met the love of his life, Carol Ann Rader. They married on September 2, 1967, and were blessed with two daughters, Shelley and Mindy.

Gary was a member of the Army National Guard, earning the rank of Captain in the Military Police. He attended Officer Candidate School and trained at Fort Gordon in Augusta, GA and Fort Ord in Monterey County, California. During the McAlester State Prison Riot in 1973, as battalion commander he led his men over the wall to secure the prison.

Right after college Gary went to work for Gene Moffitt, beginning his lifelong accounting career. He eventually went on to become President of Moffitt, Parker and Company, Inc. He has been a fixture of Oklahoma's Public Accounting industry for the last 50 years. Gary was active in many professional, civic, and non-profit organizations. He served on many professional boards including the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He served his community on boards including the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce, the Muskogee Regional Medical Center, and the First Baptist Church of Muskogee. He was also a founding board member of Leadership Oklahoma.

He served on the Board of Directors of ONEOK, Inc for over 29 years, serving on the Audit, Nominating, and Corporate Governance Committees. He was an original incorporator for the Firstar Bank of Muskogee, a trustee for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and Northeastern State University Foundation. In 2015, Gary was appointed as a Regent for the Regional University System of Oklahoma.

In between all of that you could find Gary on the golf course doing what he loved even more than working, from weekly golf rounds with his golf buddies to annual trips to Colorado.

Gary was predeceased by his parents; his brothers, Tom and Dick; and his nephews, Jeff and Matt Parker.

Gary is survived by his beloved wife, Carol; daughters Shelley Parker of Muskogee and Mindy Hawkins and husband Andy of Amarillo, TX; three grandsons, Ben Hawkins, Parker Hawkins and Adam Hawkins; in addition to extended family of in-laws, nieces, nephews, step-grandchildren, and many friends that he considered family.

Family visitation will be Thursday, March 13, 2025 at Cornerstone Funeral Home from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. Memorial Service will be 11:00am, Friday, March 14, 2025 at First Baptist Church of Muskogee, 111 S 7th Street, Muskogee, OK.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials can be made to Light the Way Emergency Fund, c/o NSU Foundation, 812 N Cedar Ave, Tahlequah, OK 74464.

Services provided by Cornerstone Funeral Home, 1830 N York St, Muskogee, OK. Condolences can be made to the family at www.cornerstoneofmuskogee.com.