Dr. James Con Parker

Dr. James Conn Parker, age 76, Dawsonville, GA, passed away October 5, 2019 at 6:10 AM after an extended illness. He was a twenty six year resident of Dahlonega, GA from 1975-2001. The family will receive friends Thursday, October 10, 2019 from 12 to 2 PM with a 2PM funeral service in the Chapel of Dahlonega Funeral Home. Interment will follow at 3PM, Friday, October 11, 2019 at Oaknoll Memorial Gardens, Rome, GA. James "Jim" "Jimmy" Conn Parker was born in Rome, Floyd County, GA on March 25, 1943, the youngest son of Rembert Otis Parker and Hazel Emma Currence Parker. He was preceded in death by parents and brother, Charles Currence Parker. Dr. Parker is survived by his beloved wife of fifty-three years, Mary Carol Hairston Parker, and daughters, Amy Carol Parker and Carrie Elizabeth Podgurski (Kenneth); brother, Edward "Ed" Otis Parker (Ginger) of Rome, GA. and a number of nieces and nephews. Jim attended the Rome City Schools and graduated in 1961 from West Rome High School. As a youth, he was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, receiving the Eagle Scout Award in 1957, followed by four Eagle Palms, and earned a total of 51 Merit Badges. Continuing his education, he attended Shorter College in Rome, GA. He graduated in 1965 with a B.A. Degree in Biology. After graduation, he was awarded a National Defense Education Act Fellowship to attend the graduate School at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA, 1965-1968. From 1968-1971, he was employed with the Department of Biology at VPISU as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. He received the Ph.D. degree in Zoology in 1971. From 1971-1973, he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Instructor at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Then from 1973-1975 he was employed as Assistant Professor of Biology at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. From 1975-2005, he was employed with the Department of Biology, North Georgia College & State University (now UNG.) He retired as a full Professor of Biology in 2005 after 30 years of service becoming Professor Emeritus of Biology. He had taught a number of courses in biology over the years, including General Biology, General Zoology, Human Anatomy & Physiology, General Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Vertebrate Zoology, Human Physiology, Human Histology, Medical Parasitology, and Wildlife Biology. Many of his students were Nursing students, Biology majors, Physical Therapy students and Graduate students, as well as those preparing for other medical and health-related fields. Upon his retirement in 2005, Dr. Parker was honored by the University of North Georgia for the design and development of the Hurricane Creek Wildlife Conservation area, a 62-acre tract of isolated University property bordering on the Etowah River in Lumpkin County, GA. The project, completed over a period of five years, included designing, securing funding, and construction of a restroom facility, an education shelter, and clearing and marking several miles of trails. Jim Parker loved life and loved people. He worked hard and lived life to the fullest. He kept in touch with all his childhood friends in the Boy Scouts, close family and distant cousins, work colleagues, friends in the community and West Rome High School Alumni. With a lifetime of many interests and hobbies, he also found the time to be a member of numerous professional organizations, honor societies, lineage societies, community organizations and activities. In Dahlonega in the 1970's-80's,  he instructed CPR classes with the Red Cross, worked as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (GA certified EMT-A), member of the Civil Defense, Instructor in Basic Rescue Techniques, Chief of Radiological Defense for Lumpkin County, and a member of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Volunteer Fire Departments. James Parker was a Charter member of the Lumpkin County Historical Society serving as president from 1991-1992 and on the Board of Directors for five years. He was also a member of the Dahlonega Baptist Church and sang in the church and community choir. In recent decades, he was again involved with his beloved Boy Scouts and The Camp Sidney Dew Alumni Association in Floyd County, GA serving in various years as president, historian and editor of the newsletter  "On My Honor..." and had been awarded associations highest award, The C.H. Westin Award in 2000 and Silver Beaver Award in 2016. In Gainesville, GA, Dr. Parker was active for over 30 years with the Lyman Hall Chapter of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (and a 43 year member of the SAR)  serving in various chapter positions as Secretary, Editor of the "The Picket Line", President, Registrar, and lastly serving as Historian from 2007 to the present. A labor of much research and excitement was getting 24 of his ancestors certified by the Sons of the American Revolution as patriots of the American Revolution. For fifty years, Jim Parker had been working on family genealogical research. In 1985 and 2016, he published two family genealogy books on The Strain Family, A Genealogy of the Descendants of Andrew Strain, Sr. of North Carolina. The last years of his life, he loved attending the Cooper-Green Men's Prayer Group in Dahlonega, GA. Care and trust placed in Dahlonega Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 20 Gibson Road, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533 706-864-DOVE (3683) www.dahlonegafuneralhome.com