Richard S. Parker

Dick Parker made the world's best oatmeal bread. Yes, he accomplished many other things, but the quality of his oatmeal bread and other delicious culinary adventures including baked beans and piccalilli cannot be overstated. Richard Sumner Parker, Jr's life began in Rochester on December 2, 1946.  He was born to Richard Parker, Sr. and Rita (Furbish) Parker.  He grew up in Rochester, graduating with the class of 1965 from Spaulding High School.  While attending Spaulding, he met his future wife, Sharon Blackadar.  He graduated from Portsmouth Technical Institute in 1967 as an auto mechanic and joined the US Army later that year.  Dick and Sharon married August 16, 1969, and the two returned to Indian Springs, Nevada where Dick was serving as a mechanic at Nellis Air Force Base. The first baby followed in 1970-Kimberly who Dick quickly pronounced a "baby elephant".  The family of three returned to Rochester in September of 1970 after discharge from the service.  Dick took over Parker's Greenhouse, the...