Parks, Darrell E. 1942-2005

PARKS, AUSTIN, KOEHLER

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 9/10/2005 at 20:33:17

Darrell E. Parks, 63, of rural Colfax died Friday, Aug. 26, 2005, at Skiff Medical Center in Newton.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Coburn Funeral Home in Colfax. Burial will be at McKeever Cemetery.

Memorials may be given to the Darrell E. Parks Memorial Fund.

The son of Kenneth and Adeline (Austin) Parks, he was born April 11, 1942. He graduated from Harding High School in Marion, Ohio, in 1961. At that time, he began his studies at Ohio State University and was a walk-on football player for one of the legendary Woody Hayes teams.

He left college early to join the U.S. Air Force. He served for eight years. He worked with the U.S. Strategic Air Command (SAC) while he was stateside, and he also volunteered for two tours of duty in Vietnam. During one of those tours, he was captured by the Viet Cong and later escaped, living in the jungle alone until he could rejoin his countrymen.

Mr. Parks was an artist. Although colorblind, he worked in color, pen and ink, clay and wood. He also enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hunting and hiking. He had a passion for small towns.

He is survived by his wife, Rita Parks of Colfax; his parents of Athens, Texas; and one sister, Diane Koehler, also of Athens, Texas.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Larry Parks.

The Newton (IA) Daily News, Monday, August 29, 2005