Sterling Lee Parks
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Sterling L. (Lee) Parks was born in Kansas in 1927 and went to be with his Savior on December 19, 2020 at the age of 93. He spent his first 8 years as a child of the Depression in northern Oklahoma. His family, which now included 4 sisters, moved to the Texas Panhandle. There his father found employment at a carbon black plant; and by age 12, Lee was working various jobs for local farmers and ranchers. In 1945, after graduating from Pampa High School, he was drafted into the Army while WWII was still in progress. After basic training, he was stationed in Germany. In January 1946, while in Lenggries, Germany, he rose to the rank of staff sergeant. While in the Army, his captain was so impressed by his work ethic, skills, and integrity that he offered to assist Lee in getting a commission to West Point. Instead, Lee returned to Texas to pursue a college education at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. At Tech, Lee fell in love with Nita Clepper, who the following year transferred to Wayland Baptist in Plainview, Texas on a basketball scholarship. He wore out two old cars driving between Lubbock and Plainview courting Nita. They began a life-long marriage in 1951. Lee became a Christian while dating Nita and was baptized at a Baptist church while attending Tech. After Lee got his business degree at Tech, he worked at several oil companies in Oklahoma and Texas and eventually was transferred to Midland, Texas in 1964 where he and Nita spent their next 47 years. His time in Midland was spent working for a small oil firm, Henry Engineering, which worked the oil production of the properties of David Fasken. He began at Henry Engineering as an office manager and ended his career at age 65 as a purchasing agent. He had a very fulfilling career with Henry Engineering and worked there for 26 years. While in Midland, Lee grew in his Christian faith and was an active deacon (serving as chairman of the deacons twice) at First Baptist Church in Midland. He did much volunteer and mission work through the church. Lee raised four sons: Stephen, who retired as Director of Missions in Lufkin, Texas; Alan, a retired medical doctor now living in Georgetown, Texas; Bryan, a retired geologist living in Edmond Oklahoma; and Lynn, an editor and pastor in Waco, Texas. Lee and Nita moved to Sun City in Georgetown, Texas when Lee was 84 and Nita was 81 to be closer to their kids. Lee spent much of his retirement years doing church-related volunteer work, taking mission trips, and playing golf. After a lifelong fascination with airplanes, he got his pilot's license in 1958 (age 31) while living in Dallas and flew single-engine planes as a hobby up through the last year of his life. At 93 years old, he rented a Cessna 172 at Georgetown airport and flew for an hour with his 93rd year birthday money. He had an insatiable appetite for knowledge and was a voracious reader. His family utilized him as practically a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. His sons and their families are grateful for the Christian values, faith, integrity, and example of hard work displayed by Lee. They feel fortunate and blessed to have had his example of how a committed husband, father, and Christian should live. There will be a graveside service on December 29 at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery near Killeen, Texas. A celebration of his life well-lived and memorial gathering in his honor is planned in Georgetown for this coming spring. Lee is survived by his sister, Martha Sutton of Atlanta; four sons and daughters-in-law Patsy, Dana, Roxanne, and Shelley; twelve grandchildren; and 6 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to The Worship Place in Sun City, the Assistance League of Georgetown Area, or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.