Richard Michael Parkes

Richard Michael Parkes (Rick) was the second child of John and Loretta Parkes. When Rick was born in Boston in 1926, his father was 25 and his mother was 23. Rick was an athlete who played on the varsity football, basketball, hockey, and baseball teams at BC High, Class of 1943.

Rick served in the Navy in World War II and was honorably discharged. Rick graduated from Tufts University in 1946 with a Bachelor's degree in engineering. He graduated in 1965 from the University of Connecticut, earning his Master's degree in mathematics. 

On February 19, 1949, he married Doris Lombardi in Cranston, RI. Rick and Doris had 3 children - Richard M. Parkes, Marcia Parkes Gimbrone, and Martin J. Parkes, and 7 grandchildren.

A resident of the Ledyard area for 35 years, Rick worked for 24 years as an engineer at the Naval Underwater Systems Center in Groton, retiring in 1991. In his leisure time, Rick was an avid golfer and bridge player. He enjoyed traveling and was a home-improvement maven who LOVED to pore over maps and blueprints. 

Rick passed away on March 31, 2000 at the age of 73. Doris passed away on August 1, 2021. 

Both are buried in St. Ann's Cemetery in Cranston, RI.