Dr. Parker was born in 1936 in Los Angeles, California to Luther and Flora Parker. He graduated from Pomona College with a BA and from Iowa State university  with a PhD. He worked for PPG Industries for 40 years as a scientist.  Location involved research facilities at Natrium, West Virginia, Corpus Christi, Texas, Barberton, Ohio and Monroeville, Pennsylvania. In 1977 he married Wanpen Parker who passed away in 2021. He is survived by his sister, Mary of El Monte, California, his sister Linda of San Diego, California and his brother, Luther of Peterburg, Tennessee.