Rudell Marie Parker

Rudell Marie (Ball) Parker, daughter of the late David James and Vivian Gaines Ball, was born March 15, 1949, in New Orleans, Louisiana. A twin, she was the fifth of eleven children. She departed this life January 2, 2016, at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. She was preceded in death by brothers David, Donnis and twin brother, Rudolph. In July 1967 following high school, Rudell joined the U.S. Air Force and received basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. She moved to Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in October 1967, where she worked with agents collecting intelligence using American space and satellite systems. It was there she met and married her husband, Cleveland Parker, in June 1968. Putting her military life on hold, Rudell and her husband moved to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in October 1968 where they welcomed their first child Diedra, in March 1969, and a son Darius, in May 1971. Daughters Denita and Dyra were born to this union in April 1977 and April 1979, respectfully. After three years in Germany, Rudell and her family returned to Colorado Springs in November 1971 where they remained until 1974 when they moved to Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. She attended Baptist College there. In 1975 the family moved to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, where Rudell resumed her military career. Together with her husband, they gathered national security information and cryptologic data used in briefings to the White House on the status of security issues affecting Americans worldwide. In June 1979, the family moved to the Azores, a resort island off the coast of Portugal, where they tracked movement of submarines and underwater machines in the Atlantic Ocean. In February 1981, the Parkers returned to San Antonio, Texas, where Rudell was assigned to the U.S. Cryptologic Center to manage intelligence collection data used by the National Security Agency for briefings to United States Embassies. In 1985 she packed up and moved to Decatur, Georgia, and remained there until November 1986 when the Parkers relocated to Macon, Georgia. The family left for Carson, California, in June 1996 and remained until October 2004 when they returned to McDonough, Georgia. Rudell's eventful life is full of wonderful memories. She lived a God-fearing life and always extended a helping hand with the utmost dignity and grace to others regardless of need. Rudell enjoyed baking and was given the nick name "Betty Crocker". She was always making cakes and pies for others that would make you want to "Slap Your Mama." Her main claim to fame was family leadership and motherhood. Mom loved her children dearly and often bragged about what motherly love and care meant to her. She had a "PhD" in parenting, as she would explain, and God blessed her with the "know how" to take charge and give sage advice and comfort to anyone. Neighborhood kids and her children's friends referred to her as "Mom" and she was most proud of being called "NANA" by her grandchildren and others. She was also a member of the Prince Hall Masonic Order of Eastern Stars and Daughters of ISIS. Surviving to cherish the life and maintain the legacy of Rudell Marie Parker are her husband, Cleveland (Happy) Parker of McDonough, Georgia; and daughter, Diedra Parker Carter ( Cecil Lamar), of Kennesaw, Georgia; son, Darius Keith Parker (Angelina) of Panama City, Florida; and daughters, Denita Chandra Parker of Atlanta, Georgia; and Dyra Katrice Parker (Neil) of Powder Springs, Georgia. The Parkers have six grand children, Taylor, Tyler, Sydney, Dayah, Khalin and Eden. Other family members include brother, Gaines (Jack) Legard, sister, Nellie Legard Perkins, brother, Clarence Hunt, sister, Authorine Poindexter, sister, Brenda Lebeouf, all of New Orleans, Louisiana; sisters, Sandra Philips (Rodney) and Lynette Wesley, of Los Angeles, California, and sister, Pollie Roberts, of Dunwoody, Georgia. She is also survived by an uncle and three aunts. A host of nieces, nephews, cousins, step-grandchildren, brothers and sister-in-laws, other relatives and friends can never forget the memories Rudell left behind. We will surely miss her radiance and glow.

Rudell Marie Parker

March 15, 1949 - January 2, 2016