Parker spent years helping community

Ask 10 people to describe Lovelace Parker and all 10 responses would include a generous public servant who loved to help people and loved to hunt quail.

Hunter Lovelace Parker, 91, of East Brewton died Thursday, April 19, but will always be remembered for his big heart and love of people. Flags in East Brewton were flying at half staff in East Brewton Monday when Parker was laid to rest in Fort Crawford Cemetery.

A 1946 graduate of W.S. Neal High School in East Brewton, his first and last jobs were in the grocery business. He started his grocery store work for Dauphin Burgess and threw papers for the Mobile-Press Register. After he graduated from high school he worked for Byrd's Food Store for 17 years.

He left the grocery business briefly and went to work for Standard Oil.

In 1966, Parker opened Big Bear Supermarket in East Brewton that was later known at Parker's Super Foods. He ran the business for more than 35 years before he retired.

In addition to running a grocery store, Parker also wanted to help people in the political arena when he became a member of the East Brewton City Council in 1964. He served as a councilman until 1972 and was elected mayor of East Brewton in 1980. He served as mayor from 1980 until 1988 and served on the Escambia County Commission from 1988 to 1996.

Keith Horton said Parker was one of the most generous people he ever met, always taking care of his employees and the community.

"In his 35 years at Big Bear he probably gave away more groceries than he sold," Horton said. "He never turned down anybody in need. He may have turned down those in want."

Parker and Keith's father Earl Horton were good friends and hunting buddies. He said the two used to argue all the time over who had the best bird dogs. Keith said he thought his father's dogs were probably the best on the hunt, but Parker got the bragging rights when his dog 'Dixie' won the National Field Trials as the 'Top Dog'.

"It's kind of a funny and sad story," Horton said. "It happened years ago before I was around but I've been told the story a thousand times."

Horton said after the field trials were over and Parker's dog claimed the top prize and everybody was celebrating, 'Dixie' walked off, got bit by a rattlesnake and died right there.

He said despite the loss of the dog, Parker kept the trophy proudly displayed.

David Stokes said he has known Parker his entire life, but said the two really got to know each other when they served together on the Escambia County Commission.

"He brought logic to the table," Stokes said. "I truly enjoyed working with him. If he told you something, you could take it to the bank. If he ever told you a lie it was about his golf game or bird hunting. After one of his golf stories I asked him if I could be his caddy when he played at the Master's."

Stokes added that Parker was a mentor to him when the two served together on the commission.

"He wanted to help people," Stokes said. "But his business sense also told him that you can only do so much with the amount of money coming in. He made it very clear that he wasn't going to vote for something that could put the county in financial trouble."

Joey Shell said Parker told him once that the biggest mistake he ever made was giving up his mayor's position, even after he went on to serve on the county commission.

"He truly loved helping the people of East Brewton, whether it was through his grocery store or from city hall," Shell said. "He could have stayed mayor until he died. That's nothing against the other guys, but that's how the people of East Brewton felt."

Shell said Parker always took care of the senior citizens and made sure they had what they needed.

"He took money out of his own pocket or gave them groceries if they needed it," Shell added. "He was just that kind of a man."

Bill Henderson said you couldn't ask for a better person than Parker.

"He had a good sense of humor but you could tell very quick when he was being serious," Henderson said.

Although he already knew Parker, he said the two grew closer when Henderson was working for the city of Brewton and Parker was on the county commission. They served on a committee together to make recommendations on the proposed new landfill.

"He spoke his mind on what he believed and wouldn't back down," Henderson said. "His main concern was something that would be safe and something that the people could afford."

Henderson said the friendship continued to grow and that Parker would call him to do some odd jobs around the house.

"He was just a great man to be around," Henderson said.

Heath Jackson said he was a little boy when he first met Parker and said he was a community-minded person.

"I don't think there was a person in Brewton or East Brewton who didn't know Lovelace Parker," Jackson said.

Jackson said his father worked for Parker for two or three years at Big Bear and he remembers going into the store.

"His office was elevated," Jackson said. "When you walked in and walked over you had to look straight up to see him."

He added that Parker would give him a piece of candy every time he came into the store.

"He really took care of the kids in the community," Jackson said. "He would give them jobs at Big Bear and worked around their school schedule. He'd always ask them about their school work and threaten to fire them if they didn't keep their grades up. I don't think he had to fire many."

"He was just a good man," Jackson said. "He always took care of the people."

Michael Parker said his father also loved to play golf, even though he wasn't the best golfer in the world. But he probably enjoyed buying and selling golf clubs on E-Bay as much as the actual game.

Lovelace would decide whether to play golf or go hunting based on the weather. If the temperature was above 70 degrees he played golf. If it was below 70 degrees he went hunting.

Parker also had a large collection of ties and could probably wear a different one every day of the year without wearing the same one twice.

"People always expected him to wear unusual ties and thought he was going to a funeral if they saw him in a conservative tie," Michael said. "His offbeat taste in ties meant he seldom went unnoticed when he walked in the room. He always liked to dress nicely and told his nephew, Hal Parker, if he had any extra money to spend it on clothes."

Parker's graveside service was held Monday, May 4, at Fort Crawford Cemetery in East Brewton with the Rev. George Weaver officiating. Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Brewton directed. He was a long-time member of East Brewton First United Methodist Church.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Jean Ashton Parker; one son, Terry Ashton Parker; three brothers, Seals Parker, W.C. Parker and Billie H. Parker, all of East Brewton; five sisters, Brooks Overstreet, Tallie Bethea, Jean Kirkland, Bonnie Robinson and Kate Parker, all of East Brewton.

He is survived by his wife, Lynetta M. Parker of East Brewton; one son, Michael (Virginia) Parker; one daughter, Jan Parker (John) Kinard of Daphne; daughter-in-law Susan Parker of Brewton; two step sons, Hal (Janet) Whitman and Allen Whitman of Brewton; 13 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.