Keith Parker

Welcome

On behalf of our family I want to welcome you and say thank you for being here today. Few things said today will be remembered. You may not recall the songs sung, or the stories shared, but the memory that will last and be cherished is that many of the people that loved Keith, and people that Keith loved showed up here today to mourn his loss and honor his life. We came together to console his family and comfort one another. Again thank you and welcome.

I would like to, at this time ask anyone that is currently serving in the United States military or has served, to stand and let us recognize you on this Veteran’s Day. Although Keith didn’t serve, he always had an appreciation and respect for those that have. Thank you, and you may be seated.

Prayer

Father as we gather today to mourn the loss of Keith, we offer thanks for a life well lived. Lord, we thank you for the gift of the time he spent with each of us as a friend, a family member as a father and as a companion. Lord, we ask for the Holy Spirit to fill this place so that He may comfort us to mourn, not as unbelievers without hope, but as believers in Christ carrying with us the hope of His resurrection.

Amen.

Song

Obituary

Michael Keith Parker, son of the late Henry Parker and Nadine (Pounds) Parker was born November 3, 1952 in Paragould, Arkansas and departed this life on November 4, 2021 at the age of 69 years. Keith married Debbie Sutton February 11, 1994 in Kennett, Missouri.

Survivors include:

His wife: Debbie Parker of Ft. Myers, Florida

Three sons: Michael (Courtney Lieti) Parker of Naples, Florida

Michael Chandler of Atlanta, Georgia

Todd (Martye) Nelson of Jonesboro, Arkansas

Daughter: Annell (Jason) Kilpatrick of Benton, Louisiana

One brother: Charles (Phyllis) Parker of Senath, Missouri

Four grandchildren: Katie (Kain) Smith, Sara and Lily Kilpatrick and Jordon (Kaylyn Short) Nelson

Three great grandchildren: Nora Smith, Lincoln Smith and Elena Nelson

Other relatives and many friends.

Keith was preceded in death by his  sister: Barbara Wheeler and her husband Jeff Wheeler and infant sister Brenda Parker

Keith was of Ft. Myers, Florida formerly of Kennett, Missouri and passed away in Ft. Myers, Florida.

Poem - Annell Kilpatrick

Song 2

Eulogy

The shortest verse in the Bible is found in the 11 th chapter of John. It is in the story of Jesus raising Lazarus (brother of Martha and Mary). Jesus had been told that Lazarus was sick and He intentionally stayed away. After Lazarus had passed, Jesus told His disciples they were going to him and he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead.

We are told that Jesus came to the place where Lazarus was Mary approached the Lord and fell down at his feet weeping and the Jews that were comforting Martha and Mary were weeping. We are told that

Jesus was deeply moved in spirit. He asked where that had laid him and they said come and see. Then

in verse 35 two simple words….Jesus Wept.

2 Reasons Jesus Wept.

I believe there are two reasons that the Son of Man was weeping.

1. Even though He knew what he was about to do….In that moment He felt the loss of His friend Lazarus.

2. He saw the pain that Lazarus’ death had on the people that loved him. And with a broken heart He wept.

This afternoon we weep.

We weep because we feel the pain of the loss of Keith, and we weep because the people we love are hurting and our hearts are broken, and we weep.

But that isn’t the end of the story

Less than 10 verses after we are told that Jesus wept, Jesus said “Lazarus, come forth.”

We may weep, but we are not without hope because Jesus said,

John 11:25 NASB95

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

As we mourn Keith’s loss and celebrate his life through both laughs and tears, know this…..We are going

to be OK. All of us.

See Jesus told His disciples in

John 16:33 NASB95

33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

He’s got this. And as Keith so often said, “The show much go on.”

Michael Keith Parker, Keith, KP, Parker, Daddy, Dad, Poppa K. Uncle Keith.......WOW!!!! There is so much I could say,

and a few things I shouldn’t, but might anyway!

Regardless, There is no way I can even come close to capturing in words a life as big as his in one short service.

So where I come short today, I want you to pick up my slack in the day’s, weeks and years ahead. If you want to honor Keith, tell your “Keith” stories to each other. There are thousands of them.

Kennett Keith Stories, Louisiana Keith stories, Chattanooga Keith Stories, Scottsboro Keith Stories, Huntsville Keith Stories, Florida Keith stories. Then there are Golf Keith stories, Lake Keith stories, Houseboat Keith stories, Motorcycle Keith stories. Motorhome Keith stories, Nascar Keith Stories and traveling Keith Stories.….and the list goes on. Share them, call and visit one another, and share your stories of Keith and maybe we will cry a little, but we will laugh a-lot.

In a minute I am going to invite Annell to come up and share some of those stories, but first I would like to read a message from Ed Jansson

Ed Jansson

Keith was such a unique person. Definitely a Type A personality. I always admired him from a distance. A true man’s man!  He has a great family whom he loved so much. Debbie was the love of his life! He spoke so highly of each of his children and step children. He was so proud of each one.

I remember when Debbie and Keith moved back to Kennett. They immediately became very active at FBC. From the beginning, Keith was so encouraging to me as his pastor. I remember when Keith came to see me one day to talk about becoming a church member.  We talked extensively about the influence that his church had on his early life. We also talked about the time he had acknowledged his need for Jesus. He stated that he had received forgiveness of his sins and Gods gift of eternal life.

One of the passions that we both enjoyed was motorcycles. He would always come over to the house whenever he got a different bike or he added a new accessory.

After we had retired from FBC, moved to Texas,  and following the passing of my wife Judy, Keith reached out to me. He proposed a meeting in Hot Springs for a few days of riding. When we met up, he asked me how many days I wanted to ride? I said a couple of days. He said, “Oh no, at least 5 days.” Honestly, I didn’t want to ride that long, but how do you tell Keith, no? I had no idea that I needed that ride! I had no clue what God was going to do during those 5 days. My friend, Keith,  took a week out of his busy schedule just to get me out of a dreary apartment. It was one of the greatest expressions of friendship I have ever known.  I will miss my friend, Keith Parker! But, I know he is in a better place and we will see him again, if Jesus is our Lord and Savior!

Annell

Todd

In the few minutes we have left, I want to share a little bit about who Keith was and what he taught me.

GO GO GO

If I had to describe Keith in only three words it would be, “Go, Go, Go” Perpetual motion. A worm in hot ashes.

A typical summer Saturday would consist of a round of golf and at least two trips to Walmart all that was before noon. Then a Cardinals game on tv, outside of course while He grilled steaks, or smoked ribs, or fried fish followed up by dinner and then possibly another trip to Walmart, then a game of some sorts, pool, SkipBo, or other card game, or darts, Then, after a final trip to Walmart, maybe it would be time to go to bed.

After one Thanksgiving dinner, we were sitting around visiting and noticed Keith wasn’t in the din or the living room. About that time we heard the sound of a top of the line Stihl backpack blower being started. While we were hanging out trying not to go into a sugar coma, He walked by the patio door blowing leaves in the back yard. That was just Keith.

No Patience

He had no patients, zero. If you were going somewhere at 6, he would be tapping his toes at 5:30. If you weren’t in the car by 6:05, you were probably going to get left.

Motorcycle Gas Station Story.

One time I just waited at the gas station to see how long it would take to notice I wasn’t behind him. 10 minutes in case you are wondering.

Competition

Keith was a fierce competitor. There are thousands of people across this country that were in a stop

light to stop light race with Keith and never knew it. Make no mistake, it was always a race.

If you were going to dinner with Keith in separate vehicles, weather you knew it or not, you were in a Cole Trickle/ Rowdy Burns race.

I don’t think he would have spun me in a turn, but I didn’t every put myself in that situation.

Golf Competition

On the course, if he thought you had a chance of beating him, he would start with the head games. If he couldn’t beat you straight up, he was going to get strokes from you, or change the game to try and beat you any way he could. I don’t know how you can hit your first two out of bounds and still par a hole, but with Keith, it was possible. In all the years I played golf with Keith, he never lost a ball. That said, when you were on his team…It was you and he against the world.

Keith was so competitive, even if you were on his team, there was still a competition. Recently Charles and Barbara and Mom and he were playing Rook. He and Charles were teamed up and Charles had the stacked hand while KP had nothing. Charles bid his hand and Keith outbid his own partner. Why?

Because everything was a competition.

He was not a good loser, and a worst winner.

There is no doubt that when my time on this earth is over, Keith will spend my first hour telling me everything he has planned for us that day and the next 1000 years reminding me that he got there first.

Keith was a consummate salesman.

Michael was telling me about going to sales calls with Keith as a kid and watching him work. How he would practice and hone his pitch, anticipate customer objections and be prepared with a counter. The way he described it, Keith was like a quarterback throwing the touchdown pass he had practiced all week.

What made Keith great at his job is that he cared about the customer. He always said that a good sale is when the buyer gets the product they want and the seller gets the price they want. Despite all his competitiveness he looked for the win/win.

Michael is now in medical sales and with all the time he spent going on these sales trips with his dad, there is not doubt a part of his dad will be with him on all of his calls.

Keith was also a planner

By the time he finished his Dr. Pepper and a honeybun, he had the entire day planned: who he was going to see, where he was going to go, what goals he needed to meet that day. Everything was planned. Even how we spent the holidays. Golf with this boys, then, while he had free labor, some sort of project. Dinner with the family, then games, followed up by more family time. It was planned, was going to go that way if he had anything to do with it, because he wanted everyone to get what they wanted.

Keith dotted on my mother

He loved her and she loved him. They built an amazing life together. When they moved from Kennett to Chattanooga we all thought it was neat. When they sold their house and onto a houseboat, we all thought they lost their mind. When they moved to Black Creek, we thought they had found their forever home. Then back to Kennett. Wherever they lived became our family hub. That is where we came together as a family.

In the closing scene of Tombstone we are told this about Wyatt Earp and Josephine Sarah:

Wyatt and Josephine embarked on a series of adventures. Up or down, thin or flush in 47 years they never left each others side.

While the Parkers didn’t make 47 years, they had enough adventures to fill a lifetime. They cherished the good times together, and stuck together in the hard times.

No one will feel losing Keith more than his wife. I am so very very sorry. We can only offer our greatest sympathy and encourage you with the hope that has brought us through so many trials in our family; “This too shall pass.”

What he taught me

Something that you should know about Keith, is that the latter part of his life was remarkably different than the earlier part of his life.

He was not the same man he had once been.

As described in 1 Corinthians 6:11 He was washed, he was sanctified and he was justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Now it was Keith, so he was baptized in a Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grill t-shirt, he believed as the Apostle Paul did as described in Romans 1:16

Romans 1:16 NASB95

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Three ways Keith demonstrated Christ to me.

He was kind

I’m not telling you anything that you don’t already know. Keith was kind to people. He was a kind soul and genuinely cared about people. Keith was kind to me, even at times when kindness was not what I deserved. He didn’t really sweat what you had done, His kindness made you want to pick yourself up and drive on.

In that way he reflected God’s love for us...

Romans 5:8 NASB95

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Keith showed the humility of Christ.

Yes, I’m still talking about the same Keith Parker.

PSP is a horrible disease. It robbed him of his ability to GO and DO, his ability to Talk clearly, and his ability to eat.

In all that, Keith didn’t sit around and feel sorry for herself. He didn’t curse God or cry that it wasn’t fair.

Keith handled PSP with such courage and strength, it was obvious Christ’s strength through him.

This past summer we were down there, after all the running around we did, we had a quiet moment. I was sitting beside him in his chair and he looked me in the eye and started saying something very important. He was using his index finger to punctuate every point. It wasn’t asking me to do something or telling me what he needed. He was telling me something from the heart. It was sober & serious and loving & sentimental but unintelligible. I leaned in close and said, “Keith, I can’t understand what your saying.”

He just smiled with a knowing smile and patted my arm and said, “I know.”

Uncommon Grace of God.

Paul tells us the secret for handling whatever we are going through in Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4:12–13 NASB95

12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Keith demonstrated the strength of God through his weakness.

Keith didn’t have any step kids

Finally, Keith demonstrated the exclusivity of Christ.

Keith didn’t have any step kids. He and my mother married when I was 25. I already had two children of my own. But when I accepted Keith as my mom’s husband, he accepted me not as his step-son but as his son. He introduced me, not as his step-son, but as his son. My kids were his grandkids. Michael and Annell became my brother and sister.

He was like that with people, you didn’t try out Keith. You were either all in, or all out. And most of the time you were all in before you knew what you were in for.

Keith loved his family. And when my family became part of his family, he afforded us all the privileges it came with.

Isn’t that what the Word says about God?

Romans 8:15–17 NASB95

15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Closing:

In their living room in Florida, Mom and Keith have a little plaque that reads.

Today is going to be the best day ever!

Despite a wonderful adventurous life, on November 4, 2021, Keith had his best day every. Because on that day he went home to the Father’s House.

Death will find each and every one of us in due time. When it finds you, will it be your best day every? I submit that the answer to that questions lies with one person.

Jesus said in John 14:6

John 14:6 NASB95

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

If you believe that: live it. Every day.

If you don’t believe that: Let me encourage you to exam the claims of Christ. Examine prophecies of who the Christ would be, and see the fulfilment of those prophecies. Look at the historical evidence for Christ. If you have, examine it again.

1 Timothy 2:3–6 NASB95

3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

Prayer