John Reid Parker, a UGA alumnus and former faculty member in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, died Jan. 13.
Born in Franklin County, Parker, 88, grew up near Anderson, S.C. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps 1943-1946, in the European Theater of Operation, Company C, 66th Black Panther Infantry Division.
Parker earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from UGA in 1950 and a master’s degree from Duke University in 1952. He taught at Clemson College and Iowa State University before joining the faculty at UGA, where he taught for 32 years.
An associate professor and undergraduate adviser for the Warnell School, Parker also served as athletic director for administration from 1978-1980. He retired as associate professor emeritus in 1986.
A longtime member of Athens Rotary Club and a Rotary Foundation Fellow, Parker also held membership in Xi Sigma Pi, Aghon, Gridiron Secret Society and Society of American Foresters.
He served on the board of directors for St. Mary’s Hospital from 1972-1993 and on the UGA Athletic Association; he was faculty chairman from 1972-1979.
He received the 2001 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the forestry and natural resources school and was inducted into the Georgia Foresters Hall of Fame in 2004. He was recognized as an emeritus member of the board for the Athletic Association in 2008
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Parker was preceded in death by Cynthia Caroline Todd Parker, his wife of 60 years. He is survived by his son, John Reid Parker Jr. of Atlanta (and wife Kay); and his daughters, Ann Parker of Santa Cruz, Calif., Ginny Savini of Atlanta (and husband Tom), and Lee LoPriore of Charleston, S.C. (and husband Chris), and a host of family and friends.
Funeral services for Parker were held Jan. 17 in Athens.