Zoe H. Parker

Zoe Henderson Parker passed away peacefully at her home in Springfield, Virginia on January 3, 2023, just short of her 93rd birthday which would have been on the 10th. Zoe was born and raised in Fullerton, California by her parents Faith M. Henderson and Henry G. Henderson. She received a BA in Public health from University of California, Berkeley and continued her education on the east coast receiving a Master’s in Public Health at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a Doctorate in Social Work Education at Catholic University in Washington, DC. There she also became an Assistant Professor of Social Science. She eventually worked as a health educator for Montgomery County Department of Health in MD where she retired in 2010. Her special interests were in programs developed for youth and women.

In 1976 Zoe married John L. Parker and became mother-in-law to John Parker, Jr (Karen) and Stephen Parker (Michele) and later grandmother to Evan, Stephanie, Anna, and Alex Parker. Recently she became great grandmother to Willa, Jane, and Naomi Parker. John and Zoe created a full life together in Annandale and were active members of the community and their beloved Bethlehem Lutheran Church. They enjoyed biking the area and beyond, sailing the Chesapeake Bay, and traveling the world together. Zoe was an avid golfer and played weekly at local courses.

In 2011 Zoe and John moved to Greenspring in Springfield, Virginia. They continued their interest in active community participation. There Zoe enjoyed dining with friends, playing bridge, participating in book clubs, watching sports on the television, and singing with the Greenspring Choristers. In her spare time Zoe could be found reading the newspaper and completing the crossword puzzle each day. Zoe had a voracious vocabulary and enjoyed word play from a game of Scrabble to various computer games. One could say Zoe’s was a life well lived surrounded by all she loved…family, friends, academic pursuits, faith in God, and a never-ending curiosity and love of learning.

Zoe is preceded in death by her parents, Faith and Henry, her sister Pat Evans, and her husband John Parker. Surviving family members include her sister Duane Brown, John and Karen Parker, Stephen and Michele Parker, her grandchildren, great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral service to celebrate Zoe’s life will be held on February 10, 2023, at 11am at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 8922 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Donations may be mailed to the church or online at blclife.org.