Roy Marvin Parks

Roy Marvin Parks died February 16, 2014, leaving a lasting legacy to the Dallas arts community. WRR FM’s classical music format came out of a late-night brainstorming session with Edward Hill, Program Manager, while both worked for WRR. Hill agreed to the format if Roy could sell it. Roy sold it, turned a profit, and used influential arts-oriented supporters to preserve it.

In the early seventies Roy retired from WRR to become Executive Director of the Texas Rangers Baseball Network. He ran both the media and sales until he retired, training and mentoring professionals, including his friend and protege, Hall-of-Famer Eric Nadel.

Roy was born on January 17, 1921, in Blackwell, OK, to the Rev. R.M. Parks and Allie Jo McCluskey Parks. His early life was religiously constrained, except in music and sports, where he was given full reign to develop the skills and tastes that led later to contributions in arts and sports entertainment.

Roy graduated from high school in Nampa ID and attended several colleges and universities before ending up at the University of Arkansas. During college and his early career he supported himself emceeing bluegrass jamborees and selling insurance. Arkansas was very poor in the late 40’s, and Roy collected cash from customers every two weeks. One customer paid two years at a time. That was Sam Walton. Roy later worked for radio stations in Springfield, AR, and Jamestown, NY.

Roy is survived by his wife of 67 years, Helen Ruth Watkins Parks, and son Robert B. Parks of Dallas; niece Ruth Marie (Hawkins) Hufford of Valapraiso, IN; niece Rodlyn Floy (Hawkins) Davis of Overland Park, KS; Carolyn Jo (Hawkins) Campbell and husband Roy Campbell of Bolivar, MO; niece Jeannie (Watkins) Brunel and husband David Brunel of Nashville, TN; nephew Dr. John Allen Watkins and partner Dr. Andy Elfenbein of Minneapolis, MN; and numerous grand nieces and nephews, as well as great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Viewing will be at Sparkman Crane Funeral Home on Thursday, February 20, at 4:30 to 6:30 PM. A public celebration of Roy’s life will be held at Sparkman Crane Funeral Home at 3 PM Friday, February 21. Interment will be 12 noon, Monday, February 24, Parks-Watkins plot, Greenwood Cemetery, Hot Springs AR. In lieu of flowers, well-wishers are encouraged to donate to the Friends of WRR.