Tommy Parks

Thomas Jimmy “Tommy” Parks, Jr., age 68, resident of the Hickory Withe Community and husband of Jane Yarbrough Parks, departed this life Tuesday morning, May 9, 2017 at the Methodist LeBonheur Germantown Hospital.

Services of Remembrance for Mr. Parks were conducted at 11 A.M. Saturday, May 13, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church in Somerville with Rev. Stan McDaniel, pastor of the church, officiating. Interment with Military Honors followed in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in the Hillville Community of Haywood County. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center - West Chapel at Oakland.

Mr. Parks was born June 27, 1948 in Whiteville, Tennessee. He served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War period, where he received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. He was married May 26, 1967 to the former Jane Yarbrough and was a Section Sales Manager for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, headquartered out of Louisville, Kentucky, before his retirement. Mr. Parks enjoyed golfing, spending time at the beaches of Outer Banks of North Carolina and was an avid sports fan.

Mr. Parks is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jane Yarbrough Parks of Hickory Withe, TN; his daughter, Audra Pelsue (T.J.) of Syracuse, NY; his son, Chris Parks of Apex, NC; his mother, Mary Lois Freeman Parks of Whiteville, TN; three sisters, Patricia Randolph (Mike) of Whiteville, TN, Darlene McKeen of Bolivar, TN, Beth Kee (Mike) of Cloverport, TN; his brother, Mike Parks (Debbie) of Roswell, GA; his grandson, Matthew Pelsue of Syracuse, NY; and a host of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jimmy Parks, Sr.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Eric Jenkins, John Vego, Marcq Harris, John Randolph, Steven McKeen and James Parks. Honorary pallbearers were Bob Pinner, Sylvan Meyer, Dave Tyo, John Griffith, Art Mattsson, Gary Roth, Marc Pure, Terry Renoux, Dave Bookout, John Tripoli, Winslow Grandstrand, Reg Cole, Greg Roth, FJ Cullen, Bart Whitney, David Burdette, Nick Medendorp, Andy Schafer, Darren McClimans and the Stone Soup Sunday School Class.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the First United Methodist Church, 202 S. East Street, Somerville, TN 38068 or Vietnam Veterans of America - National Headquarters, 8179 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (Phone numbers: (901) 323-1234 and (800) 423-5268 or website: http://www.helpvets.com ).