David Robert Parker

David Robert Parker passed away peacefully at home on November 2. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Robert and Doris (Halvorson) Parker while his dad was finishing his WWII Army tour of duty in Alaska. The family then moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, where Dave was eventually joined by sister Sally and brother Wayne. Dave fondly recalled childhood years in the Midwest as “a Norman Rockwell experience.”

His love of science was born watching his father work in the Foremost laboratory. At age 15, his dad’s job relocated the family to Millbrae, California, where Dave participated in basketball, tennis, and track and field at Capuchino High School (Class of 1964) and was an active member of the Methodist Youth Fellowship. Dave received his BS in Chemistry in 1968 at UC Davis. In 1970, while pursuing his master’s degree at San Diego State, Dave began six years as a medic in the Army Reserves and married first wife Sheryl (who predeceased him in 1999.) In 1976 Dave completed his PhD in Chemistry at UC Davis, began work in R&D at Clorox, and welcomed his first son, Christopher. They moved to San Jose in 1979, where second son Jeffrey was born in 1982.

In 1983, a small advertisement in the newspaper led Dave to his career with the City of Santa Clara Fire Department, where he was chosen to lead the Hazardous Materials Division. This innovative organizational model was first of its kind in the United States - and was eventually emulated by cities, counties and states across the country. Dave wrote new codes and ordinances, assisted in the design of chemical distribution and processing systems, trained firefighters to safely deal with new dangers that had never been encountered, recruited additional chemists and scientists who would become Hazardous Materials Specialists for Santa Clara, worked with other agencies to develop specialized response teams and mutual assistance protocols, and he even wrote design specifications for hazardous materials response vehicles – equipment that had never been built before. Dave and his team provided 24/7 response to support firefighters, and Dave also served as the public information officer at multiple fire scenes, where his calm demeanor, as well as articulate and helpful explanations, provided professional and reassuring information to the community.

Dave embodied the values of a true “servant leader.” He approached all he did as service to others. He was a faithful member of Campbell United Methodist Church, where his volunteerism included Sunday School teacher and Chair of the Church Council. He served on the Santa Clara Methodist Retirement Foundation Board several times during his life, and was an active member the Silicon Valley Section of the American Chemical Society for decades, where he served on the Executive Committee and was twice elected chair. Dave was always enthusiastic regarding young people’s pursuits, and enjoyed serving as both a school science fair judge and a proctor for the annual High School Chemistry Olympiad.

In 2003, Dave married his wife Carol Ann and welcomed Nancy, Chrissy and Jenny – always lovingly referring to them as “our daughters.” After Dave’s retirement in 2012, he and Carol Ann enjoyed traveling together – both in the US and across the world. Among Dave’s favorites trips were Alaska, the Panama Canal, Russia (St. Petersburg to Moscow) and his final choice - New Zealand and Australia - in January 2020. He looked forward to watching baseball at spring training in Arizona annually, and sitting by the ocean in Maui.

Dave was a genuinely kind and modest person, with an inquiring mind and a great (sometimes mischievous) sense of humor. He was a good listener, and enjoyed long discussions with friends and family, frequently forgetting time and place (as well as a plate of hot food) while engaging with others.

He was a loving husband, whose trips to Costco would frequently include the purchase of red roses for Carol Ann. He was always there to applaud, support and comfort. Dave's sons remember him as their devoted father, as one for whom family always came first. Each evening he would be home in time for the family dinner and usually cooked it. Dave was a constant presence on the sidelines of his sons’ games with words of encouragement, actively helped in the church youth groups, shared carpool duty, and would drive on school field trips. He was a doting grandfather, who enjoyed observing and interacting with his six grandchildren.

Dave is survived by wife Carol Ann, children Christopher (Christina), Jeffrey (Allison), Nancy, Chrissy (Jose), Jenny, and grandchildren Alex, Mae, Kai, Oliver, Dylan and Violeta. He is also survived by sister Sally, brother Wayne (Tami) as well as nephews, nieces and extended family.

A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 2pm at the Campbell United Methodist Church on 1675 Winchester Blvd, Campbell, CA 95008

For those who wish to honor Dave’s memory via donation, the family suggests the Silicon Valley Section, American Chemical Society, PO Box 395, Palo Alto, CA 94302, to support educational outreach to young people pursuing the field of science.