Lance Steven Parker
Lance Steven Parker, 84, of Signal Mountain, died on Tuesday June 18, 2024.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 42 years, Lin Clark Parker. He is survived by his brothers Bob Parker of Reston, Va. and Steve Parker of Sting Ray Point, Va.; brothers-in-law, Jim (Lisa) Clark, of Asheville, N.C., and Richard (Stacy) Clark, of Houston, Texas.; and nieces, Sarah Clark, of Asheville, N.C., Hannah Clark, of Denver, Co. and Christine Clark, of Chattanooga.
Lance was a giant of a man with a crushing grip and an outsized personality. Ruggedly handsome, beneath his tough veneer was a big heart and an appetite for adventure. Born in Minnesota and raised in Virginia, Lance was a stellar athlete in high school. In his senior year he was center on the state championship football team, a member of the national championship rowing team, and 4th in the Virginia state wrestling championship in the heavy weight division. He went to the University of Chattanooga in 1958 on a wrestling and football scholarship and excelled on the wrestling mats winning the SEIWA championship his freshman year. Lance joined the U.S. Army in 1961, before completing his degree, and served two years as an assistant wrestling coach at West Point. He returned to Chattanooga and finished his degree in 1969. He worked for several years in the health care industry, while earning a master’s degree in hospital administration from Duke University. In 1974, Lance jumped at the opportunity to chuck the confines of his office job for work overseas in the offshore construction industry on barges and at shore bases in some very primitive and remote locations. He plied his second career in a variety of countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Borneo, Brunei, and Singapore. He married Lin Clark in 1975. They lived in Singapore for 5 years and traveled together at every opportunity. They were among the first tourist to visit China in 1979 after the borders were opened. They made many trips to Bali and other parts of Indonesia to explore the culture and to collect exotic artifacts and treasures. They returned to Chattanooga in 1985 where Lance began his third career as a certified arborist and landscaping business owner. After 13 years of hard labor and business success, he sold the company to join the Baylor staff as the ground’s superintendent. Lance was passionate about maintaining and improving the landscaping at Baylor. He was the resident ornithologist and the de facto caretaker of wildlife on the campus, from Canada geese to wild deer. At Baylor football games, he held court on the bench in the west end of Heywood Stadium, his devotion to the school on full display. He developed many deep lifelong friendships among the Baylor community. After 22 years at Baylor, he retired in early 2020.
Lance loved the outdoors and spent many days hunting and fishing with his buddies all over the country. From Alabama to Montana to Canada. Hunting birds, deer, turkey, and black bear. The best parts of these trips were the friendships, the fellowship, and the stories.
After retiring Lance had many health struggles but he was able to maintain his independence, which he treasured, largely because he had many friends who loved him and watched out for him. There are many who helped Lance but special thanks to the Charles McBrayer Family, Donnie Curtis, Tom Eberle, Tara Murdock, Diego Cristobal, and Victor McClure who were with Lance every step of the journey.
There will be a celebration of life for Lance at Baylor School in the dining hall on July 25, at 4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to the Baylor School for grounds beautification.