Patricia “Pat” Mary Shaw Parker died in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on August 30, 2026. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 13, 1929, the daughter of Warren and Dorothy Shaw. Her father died when she was two, and she and her mother moved to Wilmette, Illinois, to live with her grandparents. They returned to Des Moines when Pat was six and moved back to Wilmette when she was ten.
After graduating from New Trier High School, Pat attended Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, where she met her future husband, John Robert Gray Parker. Both left college at the end of their first year: John to serve in the U.S. Navy and Pat to work for the Western Advertising Office of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in Chicago. In 1953, after John completed his naval service, they married and moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where John worked for Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO). Their two daughters were born in Fayetteville. In 1959, SWEPCO transferred John to Prairie Grove, Arkansas, where the Parkers lived for 41 years.
Pat worked for 24 years as a bookkeeper and district treasurer for the Prairie Grove School District. After retirement, she enjoyed quilting with friends June Colwell and Grace Watt, creating many beautiful quilts that she gave to family and friends and used to decorate her home. Pat and John enjoyed traveling the world and were active members of First United Methodist Church of Prairie Grove.
In 2001, Pat and John moved to Butterfield Trail Village in Fayetteville. Pat participated enthusiastically in Village life, including the BTV Chorus and Play Readers Theater. She also served as the Resident Council Secretary for several years.
Pat will be remembered for treating everyone with kindness, love, and respect. She had a gift for making others feel seen, taking the time to remember each person’s name and story. Through her example of grace and love, she taught her family the lasting importance of kindness.
Pat was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, John Robert Gray Parker. She is survived by her daughters, Susan Lee Slaughter (Roy Slaughter) and Kathy Parker Ownbey (Carl Ownbey); four grandchildren, Matt Slaughter (Angela), Sarah Fries (Pat), Brooke Foster (Daniel), and Suzanne Millstein (Aaron); nine great-grandchildren, Belle Tabor (Ben), Estella Dru West (Bradley), Jeb Slaughter, Lynlee Fries, Owen Fries, Eliza Millstein, David Millstein, Jack Foster, and Eric Foster; and one great-great-grandchild, Matty West.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on September 12 in the Performance Hall at Butterfield Trail Village, officiated by Rev. Carl Ownbey. Memorials may be sent to the Butterfield Trail Village Foundation, Health Care, 1923 E. Joyce Blvd., Fayetteville, AR 72703.