The family of Marie Parker will celebrate her life of 89 years at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 26, 2021, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. She passed on Monday, April 19, 2021. We invite you to view the live-streamed service on this page, sign her virtual guestbook, and download her memorial keepsake folder to your device for printing.On January 21, 1932, Marie was born to Alfred and Lydia (Kelly)Downs in Columbia, LA. She grew up on a farm just outside Columbia, Louisiana, where she attended high school. Upon graduation, Marie married and moved to Kermit, Texas. She worked at El Paso Natural Gas Co. for a few years; then went to work at Sears Roebuck & Co in 1961 as a Sears store manager. She managed several Sears stores in Texas and Louisiana over the next 30 years until her retirement in 1991.She moved to Lubbock after retirement to be closer to her only son and her grandkids, where she lived just a few blocks away. She was such a great mom and grandmother that she decided to share that love by starting an in-home daycare that included her grandkids. She spread so much joy into each of those children that one of the little boys she cared for had a baby brother, and they chose to name him Parker in her honor. She still continued to get Christmas cards from families of children that she had cared for.“Nanny” was a social being and loved dancing. She went twice a week and always had the boys chasing after her. She made us promise not to tell her age, and go along with the lie for her, even when it made her younger than her son.She would talk on the phone for hours upon hours. She lived literally down the street from her best friend – Lillian, aka Coulter, aka sister – Who also felt like another grandma to us grandkids. They had coffee together every day, went shopping together, and church every Sunday.“Nanny” gave the best advice and the best cuddles. She loved her dogs Sam 1 and Sam 2 and treated them like humans. She loved to work in her yard, and you could find her planting beautiful roses, and let’s not forget; her prized tomatoes. We will never forget hanging from that big, beautiful willow tree. You would never catch her without her beautiful red primped hair and a red, lip-stained, styrofoam cup of coffee. She was always dressed to impress, even just to check the mail. Wind chimes and butterflies will always remind us of Nanny Rea.She leaves to cherish her memory; one son, Jim Williams of Lubbock; three grandchildren, Kyle Williams and wife Leyna of Richmond, Tx., Chase Williams of Lubbock, Tx., Jessie Gallagher and husband Jon of Lubbock, Tx.; six great-grandchildren, Karys, Jack, Owen and Aubrey Williams of Richmond, Tx. and Kambyl and Krosbie Gallagher of Lubbock, Tx.; and a host of other relatives and friends.She was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters, and two brothers.She was a longtime faithful member of Southside Church of Christ.
