Charlie Parks

Services will be 9:00 A.M. on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 at the First United Methodist Church in Canyon with Rev. Kevin Deckard, associate pastor of Polk Street United Methodist Church, and Rev. John McClean, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Canyon, officiating. Graveside services will be at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday at Gruver Cemetery, Gruver, Texas with Cody Drake officiating. The family will receive friends from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. on Monday, September 3, at Brooks Chapel in Canyon. Charlie Parks was born on May 24, 1950 in Guymon, Oklahoma to Charles and Geraldine Wallin Parks. He was an alumni of Canyon High School, having graduated in 1969. He graduated from WTSU in 1977 with a Master of Arts specializing in Psychology and Criminal Justice. Charlie had a gift for helping people and shared this gift with many. He worked for Potter, Randall and Armstrong County Probation Offices from 1975 to 1989. He then went to work for "Turning Point", a treatment center associated with the Pavilion. He worked there for a year as a licensed chemical dependency counselor before he was offered a position as "Director of Special Programs" with Panhandle Addictions Recovery Center (PARC). Charlie was a Director and Counselor at PARC until it closed in 1994. He then had an opportunity to work in private practice. Parks and Associates Counseling Services was Charlie"s dream come true. He and his staff helped thousands of people between 1995 and 2005. Charlie also worked as an Associate Clinical Psychologist at the PAMEO unit with the prison in Amarillo from 2003 to October of 2006. He then worked with the Pavilion as a psychologist until he became ill in December 2006. Charlie"s service to our country lasted 17 years between his time in active duty with the Navy and 14 years in the Naval Reserves. Charlie served in Vietnam on the river boats and received the National Defense Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, Vietnamese Campaign Medal - Bronze Star, US Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal as well as various classified commendations. Charlie was a devout Christian all of his life. The family wishes to express our gratitude to Odyssey Hospice and staff as well as the congregation of FUMC in Canyon. Survivors include two daughters, Brittany Parks, of the home and Andria and husband, Sgt. Shawn Garrett, of Hawaii; his mother, Geraldine Parks, of the home; one sister, Mary Lou Street and husband, Malcolm, of Ft. Worth; two nieces, Raime Banks and husband, Joseph, of Santa Clara, CA, and Camille Gerardy, of Ft. Worth; his extended family, Amy and Steve Clifton and their children, Jack, Harrison, and Hunter and Anna and Andy Melvin; and his special friends, Bob Gerardy and Susan Ginn. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be sent to Odyssey Hospice, 6900 I40 West Suite 1500, Amarillo, Texas 79106 or First United Methodist Church, 1818 4th Avenue, Canyon, Texas 79015.