William Robert Parker

William Robert Parker, age 99, passed away on February 23, 2026, in the Sacramento area after a brief illness. Born on January 8, 1927, in Wheeling, West Virginia, Bill was the only child of George Vincent Parker and Ethel M. Parker (formerly Heidenreich).  Growing up, Bill attended schools in both West Virginia and Ohio. His favorite subjects were math and music. His interest in math may have played a significant role in his later career in marketing insurance and investments. In the 1970s, he founded his own company and continued serving his clients for nearly 50 years. Bill’s passion for music, particularly the trumpet, began in school bands. World War II presented him with unexpected opportunities to enhance his musical abilities. With so many men away at war, the Wheeling, West Virginia, nightclub and symphony orchestra turned to talented high school students and seniors to fill their ranks. This experience provided Bill with valuable performing opportunities before graduation. Additionally, it helped Bill and his mother make ends meet during that challenging time. His father had already enlisted in the army, where he served as a mechanic in the motor pool in Europe.  Like so many of his generation, Bill found himself in Army boot camp by his 18th birthday, so that father and son had overlapping service. Bill was also deployed to Europe and took his trumpet with him. His musical talents caught someone’s attention, and the Army had a need for musicians. They wanted him to help entertain the troops, Non Commissioned Officers in particular. This wasn’t something a Private First Class could do. To enable him to organize a combo for entertainment at officers’ clubs, he was promoted an unprecedented six times in six weeks to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Bill’s new assignment was to a special division tasked with providing nightclub music once again, but this time for troops in France and Germany, where combat had concluded. He frequently mused that it was much better to serve the country with a horn than a gun. He was grateful for the experience that helped him to pursue his musical interests professionally for a time.  Upon returning from military service, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Mildred (Midge) Hinkle, in February 1947. Midge, the youngest of seven Hinkle children, along with Bill, built a happy home and raised three children of their own. Initially, they relocated from West Virginia to Ohio, where Bill embarked on his career in life insurance sales. In 1962, they moved to the Bay Area of Northern California and finally settled in Sacramento in 1968. The couple was married for 59 years until Midge’s passing in 2006. Bill rekindled his musical interests in his seventies and played in the Cosumnes River College Concert Band, the Fred Morgan Big Band, and the Sacramento Concert Band, all under the direction of his son, Grant Parker. Bill became the oldest member of the Sacramento Concert Band, playing with them weekly through his 99th birthday. Bill is survived by the couple’s three children, Barbara Leach and Brenda Parker, of Carmichael, and Grant Parker, of Sacramento. Bill and Midge were also blessed with five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and one step- great-grandchild. While both Parker parents are deeply missed, they are fondly remembered as positive examples of the influence a good family can have.  Services for Bill will be held at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA, on Wednesday, March 25, at 2:30 p.m.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.