Bobby G. Parks

Bobby G Parks, age 88, of Cleveland, Ga. passed away on Friday April 2nd.  Bobby was born on September 17th, 1932 in Hall County Georgia to the late Velvia Cochran Parks and Cleatis Wesley Parks.  He was the brother to Donald William Parks (deceased) and Kathryn Parks Wills.

In 1961 he married June Westmoreland Parks.  In 1962 they had their only child, Westley Gene Parks, who is married to Laurel Marie Parks and live in Camden, SC.

Bobby attended Sardis High School and later Truett McConnel Junior College and graduated from Piedmont College where he was a scholarship athlete playing both baseball and basketball.  Upon graduating college, he accepted a job as a teacher and basketball coach at White County High School.  He coached most every sport at some point but primarily he was the men’s basketball coach achieving more than 500 victories over his 33 years on the court.  He is well known around the community as “Coach Parks” to all his past players.  Bobby was also the first Drivers Ed Teacher in White County where he taught most everyone in the county to drive for more than a decade.  Bobby really cared about people and often carried his basketball players home after late practices no matter where they lived across the county.  He even drove the bus as well as coached if there was no driver available to take the team to away games. 

In retirement Bobby served on the White County School board where he was instrumental in helping expand the athletic programs across the school systems. He was first coach to be inducted into the White County Sports Hall of Fame.  He was also a passionate and dedicated Georgia Bulldog Fan where he attended every football and basketball game possible.  GO DAWGS!

Bobby is survived by his son, Westley (Laurie) Parks, of Camden, South Carolina; granddaughters, Caroline (Jon) Watts and Sarah (Chris) Price; grandson, Connor Parks; great-grandchildren; Collins Watts, Carraway Watts, Peyton Price and Emma Price; Nell Parks; sister-in-law, Kathryn (Don) Wills and son John.

Entombment services are scheduled for 2P.M. on Monday April 5th at Yonah View Memorial Gardens in Cleveland, Ga. The Rev. Dennis Turner will officiate the service.

The family will receive friends 12-1:30 on Monday April 5th at Barrett’s Funeral Home prior to the service.

Flowers will be acknowledged or a memorial donation to:  The University of Georgia Foundation at www.gail.uga.edu

To share a memory or to leave a condolence please visit www.barrettfh.com.

Barrett Funeral Home, Cleveland. 706-865-3101.