Hubert Burl Parks

PARKS KERNERSVILLE - Hubert Burl Parks, born October 3, 1930, in Rockingham County, died at his home in Kernersville, North Carolina, on Friday, March 12, 2010. He was raised on a tobacco farm on the Dan River and attended public school in Wentworth. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the United States Army and served in Europe. After his military service, he returned to his home state to work for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT). He, then, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill while continuing to work for the DOT during the summers. In the mid 1950s, he was employed by Modern Chevrolet in Winston-Salem. There, he learned the business of car dealerships and, eventually, entered into a partnership to open Ideal Rambler. In 1967, he purchased a Chevrolet dealership in Kernersville, naming it Parks Chevrolet. Since then, it has become the flagship agency for interests in various dealerships across the state, including Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh and Wilmington. He was a recognized leader in the automotive industry, serving on the National Dealer Council for Chevrolet and playing an active role in the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association. He had a strong entrepreneurial spirit, which included an interest in real estate development. He was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church and served on the Church council. He was active in community affairs, providing generous support for UMAR, the Bethlehem Center, the Shepherd's Center and the Kernersville Soccer Association as well as Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1956, he married Mary Jane Solomon, and they had five children. After the death of his wife, Mary Jane, he married Joellen Vaughn Stith in 1972, and they had two children. Hubert Parks was the son of Burl and Bernice Parks of Rockingham County. He is survived by his brother, Otis Lane Parks, of Reidsville; his wife, Joellen; and seven children: Richard Carlyle Parks, married to Wanda Ammons, Debora Jane "Sissy" Parks, Stuart Carter Parks, Mary Katherine "Khaki" Parks, married to Jed McMillan, Tracy Baldwin Parks, Emily Stith Parks, and Adam Vaughn Parks, married to Catherine Caudle. He is also survived by grandchildren: Bucky Parks, Sarah Parks, Carter McMillan and Miley Parks. A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 16, at Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem. Dr. Peter Graves and Dr. Frank Stith will officiate. Following the Service, family will receive friends in the Memorial Auditorium at the Church. Memorial gifts may be made to the Centenary Fund; Hospice of Winston-Salem; and the North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership.