PARKER, QUAY FREDERICK (1942 ~ 2018). The following is an obituary for Quay F. Parker, former judge of the 259th Judicial District. The obituary was published in the Abilene-Reporter News on November 2, 2018.

Quay Frederick Parker

Abilene, TX

The Honorable Quay Frederick Parker, Esquire received his summons from the Great I Am in the early morning hours of October 20, 2018. He was welcomed to Beula Land by his parents, Fred and Lyna Jewel, brother-in-law Steve Wood, and son-in-law, Bryan Wilson. Also there to celebrate were extended family, friends, clients, Plaintiffs and Defendants, and hopefully a couple of lawyers.

Quay was born at home on November 6, 1942 in Arkansas City, Kansas, due to a shortage of doctors on the home front during World War II. He was saved by a nurse that didn't give up on him after a difficult birth when the doctor turned his attention to saving his 100 lb. mother who had delivered a 9 lb. ginger-headed boy. After the war, his family moved to Abilene for his Dad to attend ACC. Quay attended the ACC "demonstration school".

At 12, Quay and his family moved to Oklahoma, where Quay graduated from Norman High School in 1961, excelling in cross-country and speech, finishing 2nd at both the State meets. High School was also where Quay began his political career. After winning his election as Junior class president, he suffered his first and only defeat at the polls for student council president. He was devastated! He never lost another election and was quick to point out that his brother never won one.

Quay attended Oklahoma City University his Freshman year on a half -track, half -drama scholarship. But his folks were concerned about his exposure "To those Philistine women at that Methodist school" and after much ciphering, figured Quay could live at home and go to ACC for the same money as living in the dorm at OU and boldly moved back to Abilene.

At ACC, Quay was a member of Sub-T-16 and discovered Bible selling door-to-door for the Southwestern Company where he sold for 5 Summers which paid for his expenses in college and law school. He was a Top 20 salesman and crew leader out of a sales force of 4,000 student salesmen.

Between college and law school, Quay was a pharmaceutical rep for Upjohn, when his little brother talked him into going to law school. As Quay put it, "I went from being a drug dealer, to a lawyer, I still don't know if that was a step up or down..." Quay graduated from Oklahoma City University Law School in 1973 where his granddaughter, Carson Quay and husband Garrett received their J.D.'s in 2018.

After returning to Texas, he served as a City, County, and District Attorney, and 259th District Judge for 16 years. While in Albany, he served as a Deacon and Elder of the Church of Christ, and co-narrator of the Albany Fandangle for 20 years.

After retiring in 2002, he become the Senior Judge, commonly called a visiting Judge, and continued to try jury cases "from cussins' to capital murder", until 6 weeks before his death from Leukemia.

He is survived and blessed by wife Vickie of the home and Vickie's children, Jennifer, Elyse, and Kevin, his children Paige, Piper, and Prarie and their mother Connie Jo Wood, one brother, Quanah Parker, a niece, Padgett Parker, 2 nephews, a name-sake Pride Frederick Parker, and Paden Parker, 12 grandchildren, and 5 great grand-children.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Heritage Trace Church of Christ, located at 4201 Heritage Trace Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas at 1 p.m., Saturday, November 3, 2018. Please share your favorite Quay story or pictures at callquanahasap@yahoo.com or the following memorial website: www.forevermissed.com/quayparker. In lieu of flowers, please support the Christian Service Center of Abilene.

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that

I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this,

thy so great a people -Solomon, 1 King, 3:9

Meet you in the southwest corner, bro. Enjoy heaven