Alexander Nicholas Parkes

exited his body at home in Franklin, TN, on October

13, 2021, although we know his indomitable spirit

lives on with us.

Alex was born March 3, 1992, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Alex was a lover of life, and experienced it at full

throttle – perhaps a bit too wide open sometimes.

If there was fun to be had, Alex was in the middle of

it! On a family vacation to Italy, Alex was 12 years

old. We were having lunch on the island of Burano,

and the young waitress told Alex some story about

the blue pail of water next to the door for the stray cats, and how it was for

watering down little boys if they misbehaved. Alex retrieved the bucket,

sneaked up behind her, and doused her! She filled up her own bucket and

chased him down the canal and across a bridge, but he was too fast. Classic

Alex! With his captivating smile and charming personality, Alex never met

a stranger and developed a wide network of friends. Those lucky enough

to earn his friendship had a fiercely loyal friend for life, someone to defend

you to the end, even if it was to his personal detriment.

An enthusiastic boy and energetic man, Alex was both a kind brother and

a thorn in the side of his three sisters. As siblings do, they loved and fought,

supporting each other when needed, and heckling each other when not.

A bright student with a curious mind and deep philosophical perspective,

after finishing at Overbrook School in Nashville, Alex found a home at both

Kents Hill School in Kents Hill, ME, and then Riverside Military Academy in

Gainesville, GA. At Riverside, Alex finally found brothers in his friends, the

“Street Marines.” Continuing his education at Bryant University in Rhode

Island, Alex found another brotherhood in his fraternity, DKE, allowing

him the opportunity to learn amongst friends (and engage in more than a

few pranks, we are told).

Alex grew up playing hockey with his father and shifted to playing lacrosse

through high school. Despite his thin and wiry frame, he took on powerlifting

later in life – in fact, he easily took up any and all physical challenges he could

think of, from hiking, climbing, and bouldering, to the peace of fly-fishing.

Extremely creative and easily distractable, Alex had a constant stream

of hobbies. As a child, it was fly tying, blacksmithing, and woodworking;

more recently, knapping and gardening were added to his repertoire, among

others. With an extraordinary green thumb, every plant he touched turned

to life and beauty.

Not to be forgotten is his love of animals. Growing up, Alex was a keen

equestrian, participating in the Middle Tennessee Pony Club and hunting

with the Hillsboro Hounds. But Alex had a fierce and special attachment to

dogs. His most recent dog, Emmy, was a roadside pick-up that he couldn’t

stand to pass by. Despite initial protest from the pup, he brought her home

and made her family.

Quite the romantic, Alex fell hard and fast for Katie Hudson Parkes, the

perfect match for him, while in Utah in 2018. They were married on a

beautiful spring day, April 10, 2021. Showering each other with kindness

and support, their flourishing love was beautiful to watch.

The unfortunate and untimely passing of Alex will leave an unfillable void

in the lives of his family and friends and the recovery community, where he

was an active participant, filled with wisdom and compassion for others.

Alex possessed a huge, kind and loving heart, and he always held special

space there for those who struggled in life or were downtrodden in any way.

If you were down, Alex was there to lift you up.

Mr. Parkes is survived by his wife, Katie Hudson Parkes of Franklin, TN;

mother Eleanor Menefee Warriner (Tom); father Gary W. Parkes; sisters

Ashley Parkes, Marissa Parkes, and Genevieve Parkes, and numerous aunts,

uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Visitation will be held at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 660

Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37204 on Monday, October 18, 4:00 – 8:00

p.m. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, October 19, 12:00 noon, at

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1100 Gray Fox Lane, Franklin,

TN, 37069, followed by graveside services at 2:00 p.m. at Harpeth Hills

Memorial Gardens, 9090 Highway 100, Nashville, TN 37221. Friends and

family will gather afterwards to celebrate Alex and comfort his family at the

home of Alex’s aunt and uncle, Andrew and Marianne Byrd, 4419 Harding

Place, Nashville, TN 37205. Gifts in Alex’s memory may be made to Kents

Hill School, Kents Hill, ME, Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, GA,

Alcoholics Anonymous, or to the philanthropy of your choosing in support

of troubled youth.

“The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have

no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.” – Thich Nhat Hanh