LONGTIME ART TEACHER, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST ROBERT PARKER DIES

  

A longtime Brenham ISD art teacher and contributor to the community has died.

Robert William Parker died Saturday, after a brief battle with T-Cell Lymphoma. He was 70 years old.

Parker, born in El Paso and a graduate of Jasper High School, taught thousands of students over the course of his 40-year tenure at Brenham ISD, before retiring in 2012. Many of his students later went on to pursue art education or other professional visual arts careers.  Parker also began and taught a weekly art class for preschoolers at Christ Lutheran Christian Day School.

For many years, Parker designed and produced the sets for the Brenham Maifest Coronations, and also contributed to other institutions like the Washington County Fair. He also designed logos and branding for Brenham businesses.

Parker was a member of the Brenham Evening Lions Club for more than 30 years, including time served as president, board member, program director, and other leadership roles. He was a lifelong member of the National Arts Educators Association, a Distinguished Fellow of the Texas Art Educators Association, and was the first and only lifetime member of the Brazos Valley Art Educators Association.  He was also pivotal in the creation of the Visual Arts Scholastic Event, which put visual arts in the domain of other UIL competitive events.

Visitation with friends and family will be held Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Brenham Memorial Chapel. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Christ Lutheran Church in Brenham, with Pastor Mark Groves officiating.  Parker will be buried privately at a later date.