There was something very special about Judge Jerry R. Parker’s laugh. At his memorial service, every person who spoke mentioned Jerry’s kindness and the gentle laugh that would emerge from this stern figure of a man. The memorial service concluded with Jerry’s own personal message, and in the opening sentences above, you could hear his gentle laugh and see his little smile and tilt of his head. His message, by the way, needed no rewriting or reorganization.
Judge Parker was my friend and colleague for more than a dozen years. I read with interest and respect each of the 723 appellate opinions that he authored during his career. I admired his work ethic and his determination to give all the people his full measure as a public servant. I watched him fight an evil disease with the same dogged determination with which he faced every challenge in life. I marveled at his inner strength, and I miss him very much.