September 23, 2021, 72, Snow Hill –
Wanda Whaley Parker entered into perfect rest on September 23, 2021. She was born to the late Ernest Wilton Whaley and Alma Corine Keeton Whaley on February 15, 1949, in Coffee County, Tennessee. In addition to her parents, Wanda was preceded in death by her daughter, Sandra P. Brunson; grandchildren, Orayah Brunson and Ayden Brunson; and brother, Ernest Whaley.
Married on September 4, 1973, Wanda and her husband, Dick, built their home on a foundation of love and loyalty. Though Dick’s time in the U.S. Navy was mostly spent on deployments, Wanda continued to care for their children and eagerly await their reunions with Dick. Wanda played the role of both mom and dad during Dick’s time away. Her family came above all else.
With a listening ear and a warm hug, Wanda was the friend her children and grandchildren often needed. Times spent around Wanda’s table were filled with love and laughter, and always a good meal. From fish stew and salmon patties to her deviled eggs and potato salad, there was never a dish that Wanda didn’t excel at cooking.
She was affectionately the “garden supervisor”, always letting Dick know when the crops needed to be harvested and brought inside. Knowing that it’s always “5 o’clock somewhere”, Wanda enjoyed the quiet times spent with Dick and the kids when a cold drink was in hand. She was the sharp shooter in the family and never missed a target. Though many in her family had superior training, Wanda had a natural talent for firearms.
Wanda worked for many years at the commissary on base and made a lasting impression on her coworkers. Her kindness and motivation to help endeared her to the coworkers that became friends. She was a giver in her community, always ready to help someone in need. From house-cleaning to a car wash, Wanda would find odd jobs around the home for those who needed financial help.
A service to honor Wanda’s life will be held at Rouse Funeral Home on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 12 p.m. Her family will receive friends for a time of visitation from 11-11:45 a.m. Committal will follow at the Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery at 2 p.m.
Wanda is survived by her husband of 48 years, Richard “Dick” Parker; daughter, Jennifer Lynn Jarman of Virginia Beach, Virginia; son, David Keith Parker of Mobile, Alabama; granddaughters, Dulicia Parker, Shanna Parker, Danelle Parker, and Ava Parker; great-grandsons, Christian Cale, Alijah Parker, and Ryder Williams; and brother, Gary Whaley; along with a host of her precious fur-babies.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.rousefh.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Rouse Funeral Home, La Grange.
