Kenyon R. Parker, Jr. Obituary (1954

Kenyon Robert Parker Jr. of Frederick, MD passed away on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 after a long battle with cancer. His devoted wife Marilyn, daughter Erica and son-in-law William were by his side at Frederick Memorial Hospital. Kenyon was born on Feb. 8, 1954 in Leonardtown, MD, the third child of Kenyon Sr. and Berta Parker. In 1956, the family relocated to Frederick, MD where they built their home in the Mt. Olivet Heights neighborhood. At 9 years old, he had a paper route, delivering newspapers to houses and buildings all over Frederick. He credits his job as a paperboy with inspiring his appreciation for architecture, drawing and drafting. In high school, he was very active in the band, Honor Society, Math Club, football, track and field, and basketball. He excelled most of all in basketball, where he was a member of the 1972 Frederick High School Cadets basketball team that went to the state championships. When it came time to go to college, Kenyon's heart was set on Howard University where he won a full National Merit Scholarship to attend the school of Engineering, Architecture and Planning. While at Howard, Kenyon pledged the illustrious Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and was dubbed "The Computer" for his uncanny intelligence and photographic memory. "The Computer" graduated valedictorian of his class, Magna Cum Laude in 1977 after winning many departmental awards. Most notably, he won the American Institute of Architects Scholastic Award, the highest honor for outstanding exceptional architecture students. After college, he embarked on a long and successful career in architecture, engineering, construction, and program management. He oversaw projects for the Department of Treasury, Department of Commerce, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Federal Aviation Administration, and Department of Defense. He was most proud of his design of the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore MD, an 8-lane tunnel crossing under the Patapsco River. At the time in 1985, the Fort McHenry Tunnel was the largest underwater highway tunnel and the widest vehicular tunnel built by the immersed tube method in the world. More recently, he was in charge of the construction of thousands of cell phone towers all across North America and oversaw the upgrade of dozens of federal prisons as a project manager for Bechtel Corporation. In addition to his distinguished career, Kenyon was a devoted family man who loved his wife Marilyn, mother Berta and daughter Erica dearly. His love extended beyond his immediate family to numerous cousins with whom he shared close treasured relationships over the years. He was known to hold large family gatherings at his home on holidays and at Indian Acres campsite in Virginia, inviting everyone to get together and have a good time over barbeque. Among his many hobbies, he was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed biking on long trails, boating on the Potomac River, bird watching, collecting coins, and shooting pool. He was a lifelong member of Asbury United Methodist Church. Kenyon had a smile that could light up a room and a presence that commanded it. He will always be remembered for his love of family, infectious humor, sharp intellect, integrity, and loyalty. Kenyon is survived by his: wife Marilyn Parker; sisters Beverly Parker of Pittsburgh, PA and Tamara Twitty (brother-in-law Craig Twitty) of Germantown, MD; brother and sister-in-law Donny Ambush (wife Georgette) and Mary Moore of Frederick, MD; daughter Erica Jenkins (son-in-law William Jenkins); son by marriage Omar Crawford; and his grandchildren Marienella, Shaddai and Omar Crawford II and Zuri Jenkins. He is preceded in death by his mother Berta Parker (nee Cummings), father Kenyon Robert Parker Sr. and sister Gwendolyn Rusher. Kenyon's funeral will take place on Fri., April 3 at 11 a.m. at Mount Olivet Cemetery's Mausoleum. Only invited guests will be allowed to attend. Please send flowers and wreaths to the funeral home. Kenyon's family will be sharing a webcast of the funeral at the time of the service. You can return to this page at that time for more information.