Melvin Parker

Melvin "M.B." Burel Parker of Texarkana passed away Saturday, January 26, 2019, at the age of 79 years. He was born on February 2, 1939 in Hebbronville, Texas, to Ellis and Serita Parker.

Melvin joined the U.S. Navy at age 17 and served as a boiler technician, petty officer 3rd Class on two aircraft carriers, the USS Lake Champlain and the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was on standby as part of the marine landing party to go ashore in Cuba to oppose Fidel Castro until the mission was called off by the president, Dwight Eisenhower. After the Navy, M.B. married Ruby Parker on April 6, 1960. They started a family in Walnut Creek, CA then relocated back to Texas where they eventually settled in Fort Stockton. Melvin worked various positions in the oil and gas industry all across West Texas and overseas in Egypt, Nigeria, and off the coast of Zaire. The family moved to Waco, Texas where M.B. earned an Associate's Degree in commercial refrigeration/heating from TSTC in 1994 while raising three grandsons. He applied this new degree to a position with the Coca-Cola/Minute Maid Corp. in Waco, then in Winter Haven, Florida. He eventually retired from this company. He was a Christian and a member of Calvary Baptist Church of Winter Haven, Florida. He will be greatly missed and remembered as a hard worker, a dedicated family man, an outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing, and a man who loved his beautiful wife Ruby so much that he couldn't wait to see her again in Heaven.

Melvin is survived by his sons, Melvin Wayne Parker and wife Virginia of Texarkana, Ellis Parker and wife Lydia of Stafford; his daughter, Marilyn Nottorf and husband Eric of Keller; his sister, Joyce Ridgeway and husband Richard of Comanche; his grandchildren, Jonathan Parker, Jaden Parker, Sean Nottorf, Wendy Nottorf, Jared Parker, Zachary Parker, Chrystopher Parker, Keagan Parker, Tanner Parker; and his four great grandchildren.

Melvin is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Ruby Irene Parker; his daughter, Kathie Parker; his brother, Robert Parker.

Visitation will be on Saturday, February 2, 2019 from 12pm-1pm at Heritage Funeral Home in Fort Stockton, Texas. Funeral Services will be Saturday February 2, 2019 at Heritage Funeral Home at 1pm in Fort Stockton, burial to follow at East Hill Cemetery.

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