Don Parker, 74, local personality and radio host on WCOA, passed away Thursday, May 13, 2021 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was born in New York City and raised in Hartsdale, NY. At age 14, Don moved with his family to Pensacola and attended Pensacola High School. As a young man, he did a short stint as a hospital orderly and was an ambulance driver. He was in the Navy Reserve ten years and served active duty aboard a ship in the Mediterranean. He worked for 18 years as a Sheriff's Deputy for the Escambia County Sheriff's Department. As a captain he became the Public Relations Officer for the Sheriff's Department, writing numerous news articles for the Pensacola News Journal. He also did a lot of public outreach, conducting safety seminars for adults and schools and doing law-enforcement related radio and television shown on Blab TV.

Always a writer, he wrote and self-published three books of funny cop stories. He was invited to be interviewed as a guest author on the Terry Wogan Show in the UK; Paul Harvey read a substantial excerpt from Don's first book on Harvey's nationally syndicated radio show; he was interviewed by Joan Lunden as an author on Good Morning America and was not chosen as the deputy on "What's My Line".

Locally and regionally, Don was active in several civic clubs and was often called on to emcee various civic events. He wrote a few plays for the community theater in Pensacola and acted in some of them. For years, he wrote articles for a Gulf Coast newspaper as well. Privately, he wrote poetry.

After retiring from the Sheriff's Department, Don was hired at WCOA Radio in Pensacola, where his sense of humor, intellectual curiosity, and people skills stood him in good stead as a host on various morning programs and in news writing and reporting for many years. His was the steady, resonant, reassuring voice that local people relied on during hurricanes. Don remained active at WCOA until only a few days before his death.

Don is survived by his wife, Kitty Melvin; sister, Kathleen Spradling; son, Christopher Dupes; granddaughter, Ashley Nicole Dupes; and several much-loved cousins.

Memorial Service will be held 3:00pm Monday, May 17, 2021 at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel with Pastor Michael Ramsey officiating. Private interment will be held at Barrancas National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Gonzalez United Methodist Church.