A Good One is Gone

A good friend of Grand Marais passed away on February 27. Dick Parker was only 74 but he had been living with cancer for a number of years. He didn’t let cancer slow him down and it didn’t cause him to act any less unselfishly.

Dick was the kind of guy who will really be missed by all those he left behind. They say that when anyone dies but in most cases it isn’t really true. The fact is, most people die and besides their immediate family and maybe one or two close friends the loss goes by mainly unnoticed. Life goes on for everyone else.

In Dick’s case he leaves behind his wife Phyllis who is just as much of a gem as Dick was. But the loss of Dick will be felt by many organizations because he gave of himself fully. He volunteered for a variety of things and most dear to me are the Mush for a Cure and Ham Run Half-Marathon.

Dick and Phyllis took great care of Mush for a Cure. They were in charge of registration and all of the dollars collected for the various events. Dick also took on the treasurer role and did an amazing job.

Dick did an amazing job no matter where he was volunteering. He lent his expertise to the Gunflint Mail Run Dogsled Race and Beargrease Dog Sled Race.  He taught firearm safety, snowmobile safety and atv safety to the people in our community as well.  He acted as Treasurer at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and was an integral part of the Maple Hill Volunteer Fire Department and STOP team.  He also helped out with the school trips to Voyageur as a member of the Firewise Committee he taught Firewise to the kids.  He was a Grand Marais Lion, Member of the Arrowhead Coalition for Multiple Use, Wildfire Planning Committee, Sprinkler Committee, ATV Club, Cook County Snowmobile Club and the list goes on. Like the giving tree Dick just kept on giving until he could no longer give. Then I do believe his heart probably ached to give more but his body would no longer cooperate.

We will miss Dick very much and appreciate all he did for us and our community. May we all give to others just a fraction of what Dick gave to all of us. Rest in Peace.