Paul Ray Parker

Paul Ray Parker, 86, of Zip City, passed away on Aug. 23, 2024 at his residence.

A funeral service will be held at Salem Church of Christ at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, with a private interment at Rogers Chapel Cemetery.   Bro. Andy Kizer and Dr. Chad Holden will officiate.

Friends and family are invited to pay their respects from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024 at Greenview Memorial Chapel, Florence.

Pallbearers will be Dr. Kevin Davis, Derrick Gargis, David Heidorn, Brian Kilpatrick, H.L. Noah, and Barry Rinks. 

Honorary pallbearers are Randy Patterson, Larry Olive, James Bratcher, and  faculty and staff members of the Muscle Shoals City Schools, past and present. 

Mr. Parker was preceded in death by parents, William Mack and Grace Burgess Parker; two brothers, Ralph Eugene and William Price Parker.

He is survived by four nephews, William, Max, Nathan, and Wes Parker. 

Mr. Parker was a proud 1956 graduate of Rogers High School, a longtime officer in the RHS Alumni Association, and is on the Rogers Wall of Fame.

In 1960, he graduated from Florence State Teachers college where he majored in biology and minored in geography.  He earned his Masters from UNA in 1976.  

Mr. Parker was a lifelong educator, beginning his career in 1960 at Jeff Davis High School in Hazlehurst, Georgia.  In the summer of 1961, he worked as an assistant biologist at the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham.  He said, "I quickly learned that I preferred brats to rats, so I joined the faculty at Wilson Jr. High School in Florence."

He was extremely proud of his international teaching experiences in Japan and Venezuela.  He also served on faculties in Franklin County, Tuscumbia City, and Waynesboro, Tenn. In these school systems, he taught reading, science, social studies, and drama.

In 1974, he began working in the Muscle Shoals City Schools.  He taught special education at Howell Graves, Webster, and Highland Park elementary schools.  He later taught science and Spanish at Avalon Middle School.  He spent 23 wonderful years in MSCS.  He retired in 1997 and continued working as a substitute teacher for 27 more years.  He was scheduled to sub at MSHS the day he passed.

He served as an election poll worker and appointed member of the Lauderdale County Board of Equalization.

He is widely known throughout the Shoals for his amazing buckdancing skills.  He went viral on Facebook as The same video of the same guys dancing to a different song every so often. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Muscle Shoals Education Foundation, 3200 S. Wilson Dam Road, Muscle Shoals, AL 35661 in memory of Mr. Parker. 

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