Nita "Jean" (Eppler) Parker

Nita "Jean" Parker, 87, of Parker, Colorado, passed away on September 21, 2020. She was born on March 18, 1933 in Petoskey, Michigan to Clayton Edward and Dorothy (Park) Eppler.  She earned a Secretarial School Associate Degree from The Ferris Institute in 1953.

Jean married Robert "Parker" Parker on August 31, 1960 in Petoskey, Michigan. In her early years, Jean was a medical secretary for several doctors in Denver. She was skilled at typing and shorthand – and trained in the special language of medicine. After her marriage to Bob “Parker” Parker, she stayed at home to care for her 5 children. Once the children flew the coop, she was convinced to run a cleaning team for Price Right home cleaning, and she later worked at Miller Nursery and at Tagawa Gardens. Her knowledge of plants and flowers was nearly encyclopedic which brought her joy at home and when working in the nurseries. 

She loved watching and identifying each and every type of bird that visited the bird feeders near the southern windows of their house, growing many types of vegetables in her multiple gardens, tending beautiful flowers and plants in her home and gardens – and she especially loved fresh-cut flowers around the home. Jean loved growing up on the farm in Petoskey, Michigan and had many stories to share of her youth. Jean and Parker were deeply dedicated to the Parker United Methodist Church – especially the Choir. Over the years, Jean sang soprano in the chancel choir, joined in the yearly Messiah performances, played bells in the Bell Choir, managed all the music and was the overall choir “Mom” for many years. Jean delighted in decorating for Christmas and would decorate the choir room and the church narthex for special occasions around the holidays. Jean loved supporting the church and community theater programs and was frequently the “prop mistress” for various productions.

Jean is survived by her loving husband (“Parker” Robert) who has always been dedicated to Jean; especially in her later years where his sole focus was her care and comfort of the home in Parker, a daughter Melanie Parker of San Diego, CA and a sons Clayton of Stillwater, MN, Norman of Littleton, CO, and Andrew of Eagle, CO and Stephen ParkerHaase of Parker, CO.  She also leaves behind a sister Ruth (Eppler) WIlls of Foxfield, CO, her grandchildren: Libby, Nick, Henry, Tess, Sage, Thomas, Aspen, Shade, and Aria along with many wonderful nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

Jean was predeceased by her parents, Clayton and Dorothy (Park) Eppler, and sisters: Laureen (Eppler) Lamkin, Evelyn (Eppler) Carpenter, Barbara Ellen Eppler and Carol Ann Eppler.

In lieu of Flowers, please make donations to Parker United Methodist Church – Fine Arts Program in memory of Jean Parker. Any questions contact sarah@parkerumc.org

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nita "Jean" (Eppler) Parker, please visit our floral store.