Jimmy Glen Parkerson

Jimmy Glen Parkerson of Dermott, Ark., passed away Tuesday, June 22, 2021. He was born on February 22, 1939, to the late Dennis Parkerson and Geraldine Parkerson. Jimmy grew up in Snyder, Ark. He began his education in a one-room schoolhouse and graduated with an accounting degree from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Before settling in Dermott, he served in the U.S. Army and worked in the forestry industry, spanning roles in fire tower surveillance and paper mill production. He settled in Dermott after working as a CPA in Pine Bluff. He was a retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and an owner and senior partner in the Ralph McQueen and Co., LLC accounting firm. He loved being involved in church ministry, serving as a deacon and treasurer in the Dermott Baptist Church and Tillar Baptist Church. His activities as a Gideon, Royal Ambassador leader, Team Kids coach, Sunday School teacher, and Youth Group leader have positively influenced countless young lives. He has been a pillar of the Dermott and southeast Arkansas communities for many decades. He served as a member and leader of the Dermott Chamber of Commerce, Mainline Clinic Board, Chicot Memorial Medical Center Board of Governors, Dermott Rotary Club, Lion's Club, and Dermott School Board. He was distinguished as Dermott's Man of the Year in 1979. He was the voice of Dermott Rams football in the 1980s and 1990s and founded the Dermott summer baseball program. He and his wife launched the Dermott Historical Museum and the Dermott Community Theatre program. He worked with the Dermott Crawfish Festival for years, coordinating events and serving crawfish dinners. He was active in local and state politics and was appointed by the Arkansas Governor to serve as Justice of the Peace and member of the Chicot County Quorum Court. He served on the governing bodies of the Arkansas Delta Byways Association, Veasey Scholarship Foundation, and Arkansas Community Foundation. He even played Santa for many years in Dermott and the nearby town of Tillar. His impact on the Delta will be felt for decades to come and beyond. He loved the Delta landscape, with the brilliant sunsets, fertile fields and flat lands that last forever. He was a Master Gardener with a keen sense of growing things. In recent years. his cooking and canning skills ranged from fried green tomatoes to fig preserves and award-winning pickled okra. Above all, he was a dedicated husband, father, and friend. With Janice, his beloved wife of 53 years, he raised three children and enjoyed the blessing of four grandchildren. He never missed an opportunity to play baseball in the front yard, go for a horseback ride, or (with a twinkle in his eye) convince you he had just won a round of Skipbo. He is survived by daughter, Becky Parkerson (Suzette Taylor) of Little Rock, Ark.; son, Kevin Parkerson (Beverly) of Bentonville, Ark.; daughter, Karen Parkerson Bennett (Gerald) of Magnet Cove, Ark.; grandchildren, Abby Parkerson, Claire Parkerson Lewellen (Trey), Rachael Bennett, Ryan Bennett; sisters, Christine Mhoon of Harllngen, Texas, and Jo Wallace of Harlingen, Texas; and numerous other family members and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents; wife; brother, Junior Parkerson; and sister, Marilyn Hale. Visitation is from 5-7 p.m. Friday, June 25, at Griffin-Culpepper Funeral Service in McGehee, Ark. Graveside service and celebration of life will be held at the Dermott Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 26. Memorials may be made to: Jimmy and Janice Parkerson Memorial Fund, Ark. Community Foundation, 5 Allied Drive, Suite 51110, Little Rock, Ark. 72202 or online at www.arcf.org/parkerson. Online guestbook may be signed at www.griffinculpepper.com