Thomas D. Parker 1946-2024

Thomas was born Nov. 2, 1946, in Girard, the son of Donald Parker and Ruth McAllister Parker. He attended St. Rose Elementary School and served as an altar boy at St. Rose Catholic Church. He graduated from Girard High School in 1964.

Thomas joined the Air Force during the Vietnam War and he was immediately assigned to the intelligence branch of service. He was then sent to Syracuse University in New York to learn Russian. Upon completing his studies, he was stationed in Italy and Alaska, where he was tasked with intercepting, gathering and decoding enemy intelligence messages. He also received survival training and was an expert marksman.

After his service, he returned to Girard, where he met and married his first wife, Mia Nikolin. They had a son, Bryan Daniel Parker, who resides in Los Angeles, California.

Thomas worked at the General Motors Plant in Lordstown while attending Youngstown State University. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA. He was inducted into the Golden Key International Honor Society and was a member of MENSA. After graduation, he and his family moved to Houston, Texas. Tom was hired by Texas Instruments, where he soon became a plant manager and supervisor, overseeing the fabrication of delicate and sensitive computer hardware, which helped to shape the technology that we use today. He spent his entire career there lasting 35 years.

This is where he met his second wife, Jane Ellen White, with whom he spent many wonderful years.

Upon retirement, Tom returned to Girard, where he enjoyed his remaining days. He loved fishing, boating, camping and baseball, as he was a huge Cleveland sports fan. He was an avid reader and had a vast library consisting of books relating mostly to history and religion. He was also a huge supporter of animal welfare, stemming from the love of his loyal companion, and best friend, his chihuahua Jaques.

Thomas is survived by his son, Bryan Parker; his granddaughter, Stella Courrage; his sisters, Ruth Wolf and Rita McIntosh; his stepdaughters, Rossiline Ellison and Phoebe Heard; as well as many other loving family members whom he cherished greatly.

Thomas was a well-educated, humble yet powerful man who will be missed by all who knew him.

A private blessing service was held for the family.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Kinnick Funeral Home in Youngstown. Visit kinnickfuneralhome.com to view and share this obituary and to send condolences to Thomas’ family.

(special notice)