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Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication online and in the newspaper the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Frank O. Parks
FRANK O. PARKS
Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Frank O. Parks died April 7, 2020, of COVID-19 shortly after having a video conference with his wife, children and grandchildren. He was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, on March 21, 1929, the son of Frank O. Parks and Sophia Thomsen Parks. Frank is survived by his wife of 67 years, Peggy Vetter Parks; four children, Diane (Jose') Mesa, Durham, N.C., Kathryn (Kenneth) Tiekotter, Trout Lake, Wash., Larry (Janelle) Parks, Oro Valley, Ariz., and Carolyn (Parks) Cremer, Denver, Colo.; grandsons, Eddie Parks, Girdwood, Alaska, Eric Parks, Ramstein, Germany, and Scott, John and Mark Cremer, Denver, Colo.; granddaughter, Kelly Cremer, Memphis, Tenn.; sister, Ann Pixley, Des Moines, Iowa; and several very close cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; and half-brother, Harry A. Parks.
Frank graduated from Ottumwa High School in 1947 and Iowa State University in 1951 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He took a job with B.F. Goodrich in Akron, Ohio, as a design engineer. Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956 as an engineer at U.S. Quartermaster Research & Development in Natick, Mass. After his service he returned to Goodrich in Akron, and in 1958 transferred to Los Angeles.
He and Peggy were married June 21, 1952, at First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In the summer 1961 they moved to Cedar Rapids to join Peggy's father in retail lumberyards in Cedar Rapids and Stanwood, Iowa. In 1964 the company was renamed Vetter-Parks Lumber with Frank as the owner and manager. He was active in his professional duties as a member of both the Iowa and Northwestern Lumbermen's board of directors, a member of the Cedar Rapids Optimists, Beta Theta Pi at ISU, president of the ISU Parents Association, and a longtime supporter of Iowa State athletics. Frank served as elder and in many lay positions during his 34 years' membership at First Presbyterian Church.
Upon retirement, they moved to Estes Park, Colo., and lived there 14 years before moving to their current Denver home. Travel was their passion. At age 50 he trained and received his private pilot's license. He also had an active interest in photography, woodworking, camping and hiking.
Services will be held at a later date.
