Obituary of William Thomas Parker

William “Bill” Thomas Parker, 81, passed away on December 11, 2010. He is preceded in death by his parents, Everett Parker and Laura Tharp; two brothers and two sisters. Bill is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Barbara Parker; son, Steven T. Parker; daughter, Karen P. Swaby and her husband Darryl; grandchildren Alicia and Bruce Swaby; and a host of many other family and friends. Bill and Barbara enjoyed traveling and vacationing all over the country. He was a very active Christian who remained active in his church throughout his life. Bill was a Master Mason for more than 50 years. He enjoyed woodcarving and became quite a skilled craftsman. Bill actually built the family home in Burleson, Texas. Over the course of a little less than a year, he completed the home, working on evenings and weekends. Bill also established the first Christmas tree farm in the Dallas/Fort Worth area back in the mid 1980s. Bill was a wonderful husband and father that cherished spending time with his family. He was very close to his older brother Bob who helped raise Bill when he was young. Bill will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved him. A graveside service will be held for Bill at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77038 on Friday, December 24, 2010 at 9:00 am.