Hursel D. "Derry" Parker

Hursel D. "Derry" Parker, age 72, of Glenwood passed away, Saturday, September 19, 2015. He was born on July 30, 1943 at Malvern, the son of J. Hursel Parker and Vennis Reid Parker. On August 12, 1961, he was married to LaDonna Gail Short. He was preceded in death by his parents. Derry was retired from Alltel, Inc. and was a member and deacon of the Lodi Free Will Baptist Church. He served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War and later with the Arkansas Air National Guard. He was one of the earliest licensed Emergency Medical Technicians in Arkansas and was instrumental in establishing the Dierks Volunteer Ambulance Service. He would later serve with the Glenwood Volunteer Ambulance Service. His EMT training led him as trainer for the high school football teams of the Dierks Outlaws and later, Glenwood Tigers. You would also find him coaching Pee Wee football. A 32nd degree Mason, he was a member of the Buffalo Gap Masonic Lodge. Derry enjoyed hunting, fishing and traveling. He is survived by his wife, Gail Parker of Glenwood; three children and their spouses, Jeff and Janet Parker of Scio, Ohio, Tina and John Wilkes of Daisy and Terri and Loyd Frost of Danville; seven grandchildren, Beth Nolen, Johnathon Parker, Cassie Shaw, Jordan Parker, Dakota Long, Jason Parker and Zane Frost; five great-grandchildren, Aiden Parker, Evie Nolen, Drayke Shaw, Preston Parker and Collin Long; four step-grandsons, Michael Wilkes, B. J. Christian, Ricky Wilkes and Gary Wilkes; his brother and sister-in-law, Ron and Elaine Parker of Glenwood; his mother-in-law, Virginia Parker of Glenwood; and his aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Services will be held at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, September 23, 2015, in the Davis-Smith Funeral Home Chapel, Glenwood, with Bro. Phil Whitaker and Bro. Joe Short officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday, 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM, at the funeral home. Interment with will be in the Mount Tabor Cemetery with military honors provided by the U.S. Navy and the Thaddeus H. Caraway, V.F.W. Post #2278 Honor Guard. Pallbearers will be Johnathon Parker, Jordan Parker, Jason Parker, Dakota Long, Zane Frost, Brett Reid, Chance Reid and Sonny Simmons. Honorary pallbearers will be Kelly Doster, Franklin Janes, Wick Howell, Jim Hurtgen and Darris Thomas. Memorials may be made to the Mount Tabor Cemetery Association, Lodi Cemetery Association or the Gideon's. Guest registry is at www.davis-smith.com.