Helen Faye Parker

Helen F. Parker lived a long and fulfilling life. Very few have affected the lives of so many like Helen did. At the age of 94 she reached for the hand of Jesus to go home after suffering through a brief bout with lymphoma cancer. She was born March 18, 1929 to Tom Park and Belle Tarpley Park in Okolona, AR. Preceding her in death were her spouse Buddy Parker, her parents, a brother Tom Park,Jr. who was a prisoner of war in WWII, and a sister Relda Park Ebert. Helen graduated from high school in Glendale, AR and immediately enrolled in the summer session at Henderson College and ultimately graduated from the University of Arkansas. Buddy Parker had finished three years of military service during WWII and returned to Henderson to complete his education. The two met and the rest is history. They married on August 22, 1947 and in 1948 Buddy accepted a coaching job in Ashdown, AR. Buddy and his bride rode a bus to Ashdown to begin their sports careers. Helen initially began teaching at the elementary school and at day’s end she would walk over to the high school to help Buddy. Being a tomboy during her formative years, it was very easy to run around the basketball court. A couple of years later she was hired to coach the girls’ basketball team at the high school. She coached for 35 years before becoming the Assistant Athletic Director. She retired in 1992 after spending 46 years with the Ashdown School District. During her coaching career she was honored with numerous awards. The first was the Distinguished Service Award from the National Federation of High School Coaches Association in 1982. Only sixteen people across the nation are awarded this each year. In 1983, the Arkansas High School Coaches Association presented her with the Curt King Award for not only teaching her girls how to play basketball but also how to be young ladies, take pride in themselves and to never give up. Being humble, she always said her players were the ones who were honored, not herself. In recognition of her many years of dedicated service to the Ashdown School District, in 1994 the high school gymnasium was officially dedicated the “Parker Gym”. In 1996, she was among five former coaches inducted into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. However, the crowning achievement of her life came in 2001 when Helen was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. The last award she received was the Coach’s Administrator honor in 2009. One thing that she was extremely proud of was when she and area coaches and individuals across Arkansas held a writing campaign asking the Arkansas Athletics Association to allow girls to play in the same sports as boys. They won their petition and athletics were opened to both groups. Helen’s basketball and volleyball teams won multiple Arkansas state championships. In addition, she also taught Physical Education, (PE) along with sponsoring the cheerleaders. Another passion of Helen’s was the Ashdown Senior Center where she volunteered for over two decades. She taught the seniors how to line dance and do other exercises as well as delivering meals to those who could not get in line for their food. For many years Helen enjoyed participating in the plays put on by The Business and Professional Women’s Club of Ashdown, even serving as President. Helen was a member of the Methodist Church in Ashdown. She led the teenagers for numerous years in the Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) program. Helen’s life goal was to serve others and she fulfilled this goal amazingly. Survivors include two nieces, Dana Park of Missouri and Jackie Ebert of Iowa; three nephews, Britt Park of Missouri, Sam Park of California and Tommy Ebert of Arizona. Additional survivors all in Missouri include her sister-in-law Frieda Park, great-niece Veronica (Aaron) Park Everly, and two great-nephews, Lance (Kaitlin) Myer and Chris (Alicia) Park. Other survivors include many other relatives in Okolona, AR and numerous former students and friends. Visitation is scheduled for Friday, September 8 from 3 pm – 6 pm at Madden Funeral Home in Ashdown. Services are Saturday, September 9 at 11 a.m. presided by Bro. Jim Cross. Interment will follow at Ashdown Cemetery where she will be laid beside the love of her life Buddy Parker who died in 1985. Memorials should be sent to Ashdown Cemetery, PO Box 1135, Ashdown, AR 71822 or the First United Methodist Church at 145 Commerce, Ashdown, AR 71822. Special thanks go to Dierksen Hospice as they walked through this tough time with us along with Bro. Jim Cross, Jo Moore, and her caretakers Mary Sellers and Barbara Penny. Unspeakable love and thanks go to Tina Darden and her life-long friend, Wynell Choate.

Helen Faye Parker

March 18, 1929 - September 6, 2023