Richard Parker Jr. ... enjoyed cooking, baking

ROCHESTER - Dick Parker made the world's best oatmeal bread.

Yes, he accomplished many other things, but the quality of his oatmeal bread and other delicious culinary adventures including baked beans and piccalilli cannot be overstated.

Richard Sumner Parker Jr's life began in Rochester on Dec. 2, 1946. He was born to Richard Parker Sr. and Rita (Furbish) Parker. He grew up in Rochester, graduating with the class of 1965 from Spaulding High School. While attending Spaulding, he met his future wife, Sharon Blackadar. He graduated from Portsmouth Technical Institute in 1967 as an auto mechanic and joined the Army later that year. Dick and Sharon married Aug. 16, 1969, and the two returned to Indian Springs, Nev., where Dick was serving as a mechanic at Nellis Air Force Base.

The first baby followed in 1970--Kimberly who Dick quickly pronounced a "baby elephant". The family of three returned to Rochester in September of 1970 after discharge from the service. Dick took over Parker's Greenhouse, the business started by his parents. There were multiple greenhouses, growing geraniums, stephanotis, African violets and an entire greenhouse of gladiolas. He was also able to live out his dream of having a gentleman's farm, raising cows, pigs and rabbits. Sharon added some chickens to the mix after a few years. Dick was known for sharing the fruits of his farm at the monthly UMC Men's Club dinner, sometimes serving rabbit stew. Michelle was born in 1973 and Jessica in 1977.

Dick closed the business in the early '80s and moved his family from the east side of Rochester to Rochester Hill. He continued his culinary adventures catering weddings for family and friends. Dick started working for the Rochester school lunch program, which gave him the opportunity to do his absolute favorite thing in the world -- shoot the "breeze" with anyone and everyone. When the opportunity arose for him to once again, follow in his dad's footsteps, Dick took over as caretaker for the Rochester Cemetery Association serving in that post through 2016. Never one to sit at home, he recently went back to work with his daughter Michelle at the Portsmouth High School lunch program.

Over the course of his life, Dick was an active participant at the First United Methodist Church. He served as the cook for the FUMC booth at the Rochester Fair. His homemade turkey dinners and turkey pie brought all walks of life to the fair booth. He cooked for church suppers, fairs, vacation bible school and the soup kitchen, always homemade comfort food.

Dick passed suddenly on Tuesday Sept 26, 2023, while working at the school lunch program. There is not a doubt in our minds that he had been shooting the breeze with the ladies of the Portsmouth High School lunch program earlier in the day.

Dick leaves behind Sharon, his wife of 54 years, daughter Kimberly Force and her husband Rick of Lancaster, daughter Michelle Parker and her partner Michael Rofino of Rochester, daughter Jessica and her wife Michelle as well as three grandchildren, Andrew, Madison and Makenna Force and his brother Robert L. Parker and family.