Gregory F. Parker, 62, passed away in his Montpelier, Idaho home on Jan. 29, 2014 from natural causes. Greg was born to Norma Ruth (Sunderland) and Freddie A. Parker on Sept. 1, 1951.

Gregory grew up in Montpelier, spending much of his time at the Royal Bakery, first owned by his grandparents, Frank and Vera Sunderland, then after their passings, with Norma and Freddie when they ran the bakery.

Greg has always been a maverick in his approach to life. In his 20s he lived and worked on the Alaskan Pipeline, itself an adventure. While later working for the railroad, he hurt his back which changed his life trajectory significantly. Back surgery only seemed to make things worse and he suffered with constant back pain. Only when his mobility limited his choices, did he finally simply reminisce about his beloved fishing trips rather than head out to do some actual fishing. His last years were predominantly spent quietly at home. He had a sweet little cockatiel named Took who brought him years of pleasure and, occasionally, bouts of feathery frustrations. Gregory was a deeply sensitive man with a big heart. He had an endearing chuckle which always made you smile at the sweetness of it. We will miss him very much.

Gregory outlived most of his relatives, but among known survivors are his cousin Brenda (Jack) Hill of La Farge, Wis., step-sister Rhonda (John) Gambling of Liberty, step-brothers Steven (Arlene) Armatage of  Seattle, Kevin (Karen) Armatage of Bountiful, step-mother, Verla Nye Parker of Montpelier, cousins Dale and Dennis Greenley, Diane and several other cousins and relatives from the Parker side of the family as well as extended family on his mother’s side.

A Memorial gathering will be held at Schwab-Matthews Mortuary on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. with interment at the Montpelier Cemetery to take place at 11 a.m. following the gathering .

Friends and family are invited to this informal gathering to honor Greg’s life through the sharing of life stories.