Ethan A. Parker

Ethan Allen Parker, 82, a resident of Milford, NH, died on October 31, 2024, at St. Joseph's Hospital, Nashua, NH. He was surrounded by his family. 

Born in Concord, NH, on December 8, 1941, Ethan was the youngest of eleven children of Oliver and Margaret (Gunn) Parker. His mother often recalled how the attack on Pearl Harbor seemed to have hurried him into the world. After his father's early passing, Ethan continued to live with his mother, who later married Earl Rogers, a loving stepfather to him.

Ethan led a quiet, devoted life enriched by simple pleasures and an unwavering dedication to family and home. 

A skilled tool and die machinist, he and his wife of 58 years, Linda Parker, co-owned Parker Tool Company, which they ran together for decades. Even in his later years, Ethan continued to work part-time, never fully retiring from the trade he loved. 

He was happiest at home, gathering for family dinners each evening and tending to the home he built in Temple, NH. The home's acres also housed several horses, dogs, sheep, some chickens, and a large vegetable garden. Ethan had the mind of an engineer and could devise an ingenious fix for just about any problem. Known for his hands-on approach, Ethan was also the family mechanic and a stockcar driver at Monadnock Speedway. 

Together with his wife, he later lived in Milford NH where he spent his recent years restoring a classic 1979 Corvette. 

Ethan was also active in his communities, serving as a volunteer firefighter in Temple and later, for several years, as a board member of the Ledgewood of Milford Condominium Association.

He was a stoic man of few words—except when visiting with his many siblings—and deeply devoted to his family and work. In his last decade, Ethan earned the nickname "The Machine" for his remarkable resilience during his successful battle with cancer, facing the treatment with such ease and strength that it seemed barely to faze him.

Ethan was predeceased by a son-in-law, Richard D. Schofield, and his siblings Cliff Parker, Bill Parker, Burton Parker, Jim Parker, Peg Rice, Mary Hicks, Christie Petrin, Gregory Parker, Florence Parker, and Marcellene "Marcie" Landry.

Family members include his loving wife, Linda (Taylor) Parker of Milford; three children, Diana Schofield of Milford, Jason Parker and his wife Christine of Manchester, NH, and Jenny Parker of Gladwyne, PA; and five grandchildren, Emily Schofield, Margaret Schofield, Trevor Parker, Owen McCloskey and Eden McCloskey.

Friends and family are invited to gather on Sunday, November 17, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Ledgewood Community Club House, 24 Gerry’s Way, Milford, NH to share memories and fellowship in celebration of a life well-lived—a life filled with love, family, and the simple joys of home.

In place of flowers, the family suggests donations in his name to the Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston, MA via dana-farber.org/gift.