John Carlyle Parker, age 86, of Stockton died Feb. 1 at Stockton, California.
Mr. Parker was a native of Ogden, Utah and lived in Turlock 47 years and Stockton for 7 years. He was a librarian for a total of 36 years; 31 years at California State University, Stanislaus, which includes 2 years (1992-1994) as archivist. He earned an AA from Weber College (now Weber State University), Ogden, Utah; BA, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; and MLS, University of California, Berkeley. He was a reference librarian at Humboldt State University and at Church College of Hawaii (now BYU Hawaii). Editor of Marietta Publishing Company. Lay leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and founder and director of the Modesto and Turlock Family History Centers for 29 years. Church vocalist and music director.
A member of several library, historical, and genealogical organizations. Compiler of several indexes, including some for Stanislaus and Merced County histories; editor of a fifteen volume set, Gale Genealogy & Local History Series; author of several genealogical books, including the three edition popular Going to Salt Lake City to Do Family History Research; and book reviewer for several library, historical, and genealogical journals. Also, a popular genealogical lecturer in California and nationwide.
In the 1980s he encouraged Bob Endsley of Endsley & Associates to help save the only California Mission Style building remaining in Turlock. Endsley arranged to do so as a gift from the McVey Family for the Turlock Historical Society to refurbish for their Museum.
He is survived by his wife, Janet Parker of Stockton; children, Denise Paxton (Paul) of Sandy, Utah, and Bret Parker (Jeanine) of Stockton; brother, E. Charles Parker (Jean) of Washington, Utah; and eleven grandsons and one granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his son, Nathan Carlyle Parker; granddaughter, Amy Paxton; and brothers, L. Mayland and Don Timothy Parker.
His Christian memorial service will be at 11:00am, Saturday February 10, 2018 at El Dorado Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7030 N El Dorado St, Stockton, with burial at Cherokee Memorial Park in Lodi. Viewing at 10:00am at the El Dorado Chapel. Remembrances may be made to the Retired Faculty Scholarship Fund of California State University, Stanislaus, or the Perpetual Education Fund [for young men and women in less advantaged countries] of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://give.lds.org/pef.
