John "Papa John" Parkinson

Our beloved, John "Papa John" Parkinson of Benton, suddenly passed away on Friday, November 26, 2010. He was born February 20, 1933 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Preceded in death by his mother and father, Mary and Earl Parkinson; he is survived by his loving wife, Jerry Parkinson of Benton. Other grieving survivors include his son Anthony Parkinson and wife Diane, their children Sarah Rose and Anthony Michael of Jackson, Mississippi; son and daughter, John and Colleen Parkinson; stepchildren; Rebecca Schmitt, Rhonda Wright, Tina Russell, Alvin Russell, all of Florida; Carol Phillips of Benton; grandchildren, Jennifer, Brandon, Michael, Lindsay, Jessica, Kyle, Cori and Drew; and great-grandchildren, Kaylee and Dalton. Also many others, big and small, will miss him terribly, including a few four legged friends Arkay, Midnight, Sammy, Chloe and Max. John began his military career in December, 1949. He served his country for over 20 years combined through the U.S. Army, Army National Guard and the Army Reserves. Self-disciplined and determined, he became very decorated with several awards, medals, and certificates. Mr. Parkinson served in the 106th, 42nd Infantry, 82nd Airborne; 7th and 9th Field Artillery, 841st Combat Engineer, 507 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 70th Combat Engineers, 4th Armored Calvary, 19th Special Forces, 69th Infantry, and many more units. Army Master Sergeant John Parkinson's extensive military career did not end until 1993. He also devoted 20 years of hard work to the New York City Department of Sanitation. He enjoyed cooking authentic Italian food and did so very well. John had a compassion towards all people that is not as common as it used to be. He was the true definition of an American dream; just a kid from Brooklyn that not only made his own way, but touched so many lives as he did, becoming a successful and accomplished man. Full of life stories of virtue and inspiration, John had such an impact on all of us in so many ways. He possessed a wisdom only found through living life, learning the lessons and standing to tell the tale. It's apparent that John is not gone, but he is a living angel in Heaven and will be greatly missed, for he had such a presence in all our hearts. Parkinson was a born Catholic and attended Our Lady of Fatima in Benton. A proper military memorial service will be held Saturday, December 4, at 2 p.m. at Dial and Dudley Funeral Home, 4212 Hwy. 5 North in Bryant. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to his favorite charitable organization, Arkansas Food bank Network; 8121 A Distribution Drive; Little Rock, Ark. 72209 or visit dialanddudleyfuneralhome.com.