Ronald James Parker (SYLVANIA, Ga.)

SYLVANIA, Ga. - Ronald James Parker, Sr., 77, of Sylvania died June 7, 2009 at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. The Screven County native was born to the late Henry Walstein and Mary Walton Pierce Parker. He was commissioned as a 1st lieutenant of the US Army during the Korean War and graduated from Clemson University in 1953, with a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering. He was a retiree of the United States Department of Agriculture, where he served as the ASCS District Director, and was president of National Association of Retired Federal Employees for four years and was a senior active member of the Sylvania Rotary Club. Survivors include wife, Gloria Hartsfield Parker; daughter and son-in-law, Beth Parker and Wayne McConnell, of Warner Robins; son and daughter-in-law, Ronald Philip, Jr. and Sherri Thompson Parker, of Sylvania; sister and brother-in-law, Pamela and Dr. Tom Lewis, Sr., of St. Simons; uncle and aunts, George and Marie Parker, of Statesboro and Alice Pierce, of Orlando; and grandchildren, Emily E. McConnell, Parker W. McConnell, Mallory E. Parker, and Zachary Parker. Visitation will be Tuesday from 5:00pm until 8:00pm at Joiner- Anderson Funeral Home Screven Chapel. Funeral services will be Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 11:00am at the Little Horse Creek Baptist Church with Rev. David Buie and Dr. Charles Martin officiating. Interment will follow at Little Horse Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Tommy Corn, Littleton Bragg, Bob Odom, Josh Lanier, Randall Thomas, Charles Edwards, Floyd Waters, Bickle Thomas, Sr., and Bickle Thomas, Jr. Honorary Pallbearers will be Hubert Parker, Grier Tanner, Walter Evans, and the members of the Sylvania Rotary Club. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Little Horse Creek Baptist Church, 1080 Burton Ferry Hwy, Sylvania, GA 30467, care of Kathy Clifton. Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson. com. Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home Screven Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Sign the guestbook at AugustaChronicle.com

The Augusta Chronicle-June 9, 2009