Richard Carl Parker

Richard Carl Parker, 83, of Amarillo, joined the Lord on the mountaintops in Heaven on Saturday, January 17, 2026.

The family will receive friends during a viewing from 5:00 to 6:00 PM on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel with Karen Wells officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery with military honors by Volleys for Veterans.  

Richard was born on July 22, 1942, in Alva, Oklahoma, to Donna McMurphy Parker and Francis Parker. He proudly served in the United States Air Force, an experience that shaped his sense of responsibility, discipline, and steady character throughout his life.

He spent much of his life in Amarillo, working with Bell Helicopter and later at Pantex, where he retired, building both a reputation for dependable work and friendships that endured long after the workday ended.

Richard found deep joy in the mountains of New Mexico, where he kept a home and felt most at peace. There, he was an active member of the volunteer fire department, giving his time and skills in service to the community he loved. He enjoyed attending rendezvous, was a skilled marksman, and had a deep appreciation for traditional skills and self-reliance.

A craftsman at heart, Richard enjoyed working with his hands. He made fishing lures, birdhouses, and leather goods, often creating items simply for the satisfaction of doing the work well. These pursuits reflected the way he lived — thoughtfully, independently, and on his own terms.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Francis Parker and Donna Parker; his brother, Billy Parker; his sister, Kay Parker; and his parents-in-law, Olan Vinson and Juanita Dunn Vinson.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Parker, of Amarillo; his children, Cynthia Cordova and husband Alfred Cordova, Barbara Rolland, Scott Parker, engaged to Natasha Conover, and Raymond Stepp and wife Cara Stepp; along with grandchildren, extended family members, and many friends who will cherish his memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation or to the charity of one’s choice.