David Parker - 12 March 1962 - 28 February 2011

Dear Church family & friends in Christ,

Yesterday was a very difficult day for our church and for this community. David Parker, longtime ParkwayHills member and current chairman of our deacons, passed away while skiing in Beaver Creek, CO. David, who was on holiday enjoying the Trinity Christian Academy "Winter Break", was with his wife Delynn and their youngest son Bo. Also with them were several other families from the TCA community, so that David was doing what he liked to do - skiing with family and friends.

As told to me, he was on the mountain with two friends, Matt Miller and Scott Dennis. Although Matt and Scott did not see him go down, those nearest to David when he died said that it was as if he just slumped over then went down. Observers have reported "he had no accident, there were no moguls and he seemed to experience no trauma - as if the LORD reached down and just took him home." The mountain paramedics were at his side quickly, however David could not be revived - either on the mountain or at the hospital.

Our church was first contacted by Vail Social Services - just after 2:00 pm central standard time. My assistant interrupted me in meeting with our church's Executive Staff and I called Delynn on her cell phone immediately. Delynn answered the phone and said to me, "Pastor, David is gone," then crying she said, 'he died." And we began crying together. She asked me if I would locate the other boys and tell them the news. I said I would.

The next hours were a whirlwind of phone calls, prayers, tears and each of us holding one another tightly. Delynn's aunt and uncle, Jim and Cheryl Crain, were in my office within minutes of my phone call with Delynn. Together we mapped out how we might get word to David and Delynn's other sons - Austin, Travis and Sam. Going immediately to the Parker home, we made this our base of operation for talking to the boys. Sam, 16, was at baseball practice at Trinity. Austin, 22, was at work in Las Colinas and Travis, 19 and a student at Baylor, was in Waco. Over the next hours the boys were informed - Sam being the last one.

David's friend and owner of the company he worked for, arranged to fly me and the boys to Vail, to pick up Delynn and Bo and bring them home. This we did - leaving Love Field just after 6:30 pm. Travis was driven by a caravan entourage of friends and fraternity brothers from Waco directly to the area of Love Field from which we were to depart. Together, these young men and other's surrounded the Parker brothers, praying for them on the tarmac before we boarded the plane. Just short of 2 hours after take off, we landed in Vail and met with Delynn, Bo, and the Miller and Dennis family. Scott and Matt then told the boys of their Dad's last moments, reiterating to them that David experienced no pain, and that the "LORD just took him home." We cried some more, prayed, then asked God to comfort us all and to remind the boys of everything that their Dad had taught them - confident God would do just this.

On the flight home, Delynn and I talked softly as the boys, one by one, fell asleep. She said to me, "Pastor Sam, he loved me so much - and I loved him." "He called me Princess." I said, "Delynn, I know he loved you. When he talked about you and the boys, his eyes would light up." "You will always have that. No one will ever take that away."

Please pray for this wonderful family. David is not dead. Though not with us now, he is very much alive. In fact, he is more alive today than ever he has been. Because David knew Christ as his Savior, because David had put his trust for life and all eternity in HIm, he is with his LORD. (Jn. 3:16, 1st Cor. 15)

On the front door of the Parker home the words from Psalm 121 are posted. They read,

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;

From where shall my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The LORD will protect you from all evil;

He will keep your soul.

The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and forever.

To this end, then, we wait upon Him.

Pastor Sam Dennis

PS Once arrangements are made and the service time has been set, our church will make the information available.