Loren Parks

LOREN D. PARKS

Cedar Rapids

Loren D. Parks, 89, of Cedar Rapids, died Friday, June 10, 2016, at St. Luke's Hospital. Funeral Mass: 10 a.m. Tuesday at All Saints Catholic Church, where friends may call after 9 a.m. Tuesday. The Rev. John R. Flaherty will officiate. Entombment, with military rites: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Survivors include his wife, Dolores; four daughters, Angela (Dean) Tesar of Cedar Rapids, Gloria (Don) Tesar of Vinton, Mary (Matthew) Whitters of Hudson, Mass., and Lois (Scott) Vaske of Marion; and two brothers, Carroll (Alice) of Mount Pleasant and Gail of Loveland, Colo. He also is survived by 10 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one due in November.

Loren was preceded in death by a son, Charles; a daughter-in-law, Becky Parks; an infant grandchild; and three brothers, Dean, Leland and Burton.

Loren was born Sept. 20, 1926, in Salem, Iowa, the son of Vernon and Lela Watts Parks. He married Dolores M. Vegalius on March 3, 1951, in Rapid City, S.D.

Loren worked at Collins Radio for 14 years and later retired from LeFebure Corp. as a draftsman in 1992 after many years of service.

He was a member of Marion American Legion Post 298 and proudly served in the Air Force during the Korean War.

Loren was a skilled woodworker. He enjoyed golfing, fishing, gardening, playing pinochle, collecting antique tools and restoring his father's John Deere H tractor. His greatest joy, however, was the time spent with his beloved family and many friends.

His memory will be cherished by all who knew and loved him.

Memorial donations may be given to the Anna Purna Ghosh Foundation or Blesie Tree Foundation.

The family would like to thank Dr. Ghosh and his staff and St. Luke's Hospice for the wonderful care given to Loren.

Please leave a message or tribute to the Parks family on the web page, www.cedarmemorial.com, under obituaries.