Allegra Willis PARKER

Age 94 Died peacefully on February 12, 2018 in Wayzata, Minnesota, where she lived for more than 60 years. There was nothing more important to Allegra than family. She will be remembered lovingly by her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren for her generosity, words of wisdom, sense of humor, strong values, and most important, her great love for each of them. She is survived by Hugh Parker and his wife, Donna Salisbury, of Greensboro, N.C.; Melissa Parker Lindsay and her husband, Lynn Lindsay, of St. Paul; and Bill Parker and his wife, Anne Parker, of St. Paul. She also is survived by five grand children of whom she was incredibly proud: David Lindsay and his wife, Liz Carraro; Andrew Lindsay; Henry Parker and his fiancée, Eve Hage; Louise Parker and her fiancé, Louis Heilbronn; and Amelia Parker. The family specifically thanks Allegra's caregivers, Lisa Schuette, Barb Sipe, Kelly Dooley and Carmen Fezenmeier, for the excellent care they provided for so many years. Allegra was grateful to the Gables staff on the 4th floor of Folkestone. They provided her with great happiness and comfort in her final years. Allegra was preceded in death by her husband, Paul L. Parker; her brother, Clyde, of Wichita Falls, Texas; and her parents, Vera and Ivan Willis. Allegra would boast that she had moved 29 times by the time she was 30. She lived in Tulsa as a child during the oil boom days, and her stories of the disparity of wealth always were lessons for her family. Later, she lived in and around New York City and attended Barnard College, where she became Barnard's first art history major, focusing on Asian art, which remained a passion her entire life. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a fine arts degree. Allegra was an active participant in community and cultural affairs in the Twin Cities. She served as a Board member of the Guthrie Theater, Milkweed Editions, and the Hennepin Center for the Arts. She was appointed by Governor Rudy Perpich to the Minnesota State Arts Board in 1985, and she was active in the Asian Arts Council at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. In addition, she was the Minnesota Director for Stratford Hall, the ancestral home of Robert E. Lee, in Stratford, Virginia. She served as the Board Chair from 1991-1994 and as an Honorary Director beginning in 1999. She and Paul were active participants in the World Press Institute, hosting journalists from around the world in their home for 10 years. Allegra loved to travel, and she frequently visited the places she lived as a child, including London, Holland and Switzerland. Her favorite place to visit and spend time was the Double L-P Ranch in Red Lodge, Montana. She liked nothing more than bringing together her children, their spouses and her grandchildren in Red Lodge and spending time with them exploring the West. The family will host a celebration of Allegra's life in May 2018. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be directed to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55404.