Willa “Billye” Parker

Posted on March 11, 2022

Willa “Billye” Parker, 86, passed away on Feb. 22, 2022, in her home surrounded by her family.

Billye was a lifelong resident of Perry, born on Feb. 14, 1936.

She played on the basketball team and was a majorette at Taylor County High School where she met her future husband of 58 years.

She attended Florida State University and played trumpet in The Marching Chiefs band. She was a member of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority and earned a bachelor’s degree in education.

She returned to Perry and began teaching high school math, algebra, geometry and computer for 28 years. During that time she went back to school and earned a master’s degree in computer technology.

When Billye wasn’t teaching, she was busy playing tennis, playing the piano, arrowhead hunting, fishing, scalloping, crabbing, putting puzzles together, Sudoku, telling jokes and reading.

She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church of Perry, where she married her high school sweetheart. She taught Sunday school, and was the children’s choir director, and sang in the choir for many years.

She was a lover of card games and slot machines, spending as much time as possible playing with her bridge friends and lots of trips to Biloxi.

She also volunteered at the hospital in Perry. Her greatest joy of all was spending time with her six Grandchildren. She retired from teaching the year her first grandchild was born.

Billye was preceded in death by her husband, LaCour Edwin “Ed” Parker Jr., and her parents, Paul Delmus Bird and Willa Wynema Andrews Bird.

She is survived by: her two children, LaCour Edwin Parker III (Jennifer) of Tallahassee and Claire Parker Benz (Michael) of Destin; grandchildren, Maxwell and Isabella Parker and Parker, Brooke, Conrad and Palmer Benz; sister, Paula Cloys of Concord, N.C.; and brother, Paul Bird of Lake City; as well as a host of nieces and nephews.

Celebration of life services were held Saturday, March 5, at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Perry

with Pastor Brian Gilliland from Morningside Church in Tallahassee officiating. Internment services followed at Woodlawn Cemetery in Perry.

All arrangements are under the direction of Burns Funeral Home of Perry. Friends may sign the online guest book at www.joepburnsfuneralhomes.com.