Parker Adams SMALL III, 52, of Wellesley and North Truro, Massachusetts, passed away on July 13 after living a successful, brave and optimistic life filled with much love and happiness despite being diagnosed with a brain tumor on July 31, 1989. He died at home, surrounded by his family and friends. Parker was the beloved husband of Katherine Currier Small, and the adoring father of Margaret Edmea Small and Elizabeth Parker Small of Wellesley.
Parker was born in Philadelphia and spent the majority of his childhood in Gainesville, Florida. He graduated in 1976 from P.K. Yonge, a laboratory high school at the University of Florida, and was valedictorian of his class and the recipient of the Shad Bryant Scholar Athlete Award. He met the love of his life and best friend, Katie Currier, at the freshman taco party at Dartmouth College, November 19, 1976, and they were married nine years later on August 24, 1985. His senior year at Dartmouth, Parker received a grant from the Xerox Corporation which funded his independent research for his geology thesis, which took him to Pakistan for a semester. While at Dartmouth, Parker was also known for his slide shows focused on the off-campus geology research term, reunion, and the Class of 1980. Several of these have been incorporated into Class of 1980 reunion programs over the past 30 years. Parker and Katie also co-chaired their 10th Dartmouth College reunion and have been fortunate to have many close friends from college in their lives.
Following Parker’s graduation from Dartmouth in 1980, he went on to a career in business, first working as an account executive at the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency in Chicago, then as a product manager in the Paper Mate Division of the Gillette Corporation, as a management consultant at Arthur D. Little Consulting, and finally as a vice president at Butler Capital Corporation in New York City. Parker became disabled due to his illness in 1991 and since that time has been a stay-at-home father. In addition to being at home, Parker volunteered at his daughters’ elementary school and was fondly referred to as “Mr. Science”. He also volunteered on multiple political campaigns in Wellesley. He is a former member of the Hunnewell School Council, the Wellesley Middle School Council, and a member of the Wellesley Club. His primary focus in life has been to spend time with his wife, daughters and extended family and friends and to try to make a difference in the world. Parker loved spending time at the Cape and in Maine with his family and was passionate about lobsters and all aspects of lobstering. Parker and his daughters had a non-commercial lobstering license and have fished in Cape Cod Bay for the past 10 summers. He had traveled to over 40 lobster pounds in Maine with his wife and daughters and was working on a lobster pound guide book.
Parker graduated from Harvard Business School in 1985. At his 20th reunion, he was one of five classmates awarded “The Courage and Valor Award” to recognize the courageous and positive way he lived his life.
Through his 21-year journey with brain cancer, Parker was bravely willing, in several cases, to be one of the first patients to try a drug therapy, uncertain as to the possible side effects. His ultimate wish was that through the establishment of a fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, his family and friends will be able to build upon his contributions to scientific research and continue to help other families in the hope of improving treatment options and patient outcomes.
In addition to his wife and daughters, Parker leaves his loving extended family, Dr. and Mrs. Parker Adams Small Jr. of Gainesville, Florida, and North Truro; his brother, Dr. Peter M. Small, and his wife, Dr. Delaney Ruston, of Seattle, Washington; his sister, Carla E. Small, and her husband, Robert N. Cronin, of Needham; his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Currier Beacom, and her husband, Matthew L. Beacom, of North Haven, Connecticut, and many nieces, nephews, godchildren and friends. Parker also leaves his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Settimelli, of South Weymouth, and his cousins, Ellen A. Settimelli of Belmont and Paula J. Settimelli of Watertown. Parker was predeceased by his mother-and father-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. William Stoughton Currier Jr. of Longmeadow, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Settimelli of Quincy, and Mr. and Mrs. Parker A. Small of Cincinnati and North Truro. Parker also leaves behind his devoted Black Labrador retriever, Waywee Chucklebrook. Parker’s family is deeply grateful to the physicians, nurses and other caregivers who helped them all with competence and compassion on their challenging, long and complicated brain tumor journey. Special heartfelt appreciation goes to Dr. Patrick Y. Wen and Debra LaFrankie at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Dr. Jerome B. Posner and Ellen Sambat at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute in New York City, and Parker's inspirational physical therapists, Lynn Clancy and Meredith Roberts.
Visiting hours will be Friday, July 16, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., Wellesley, Mass. Family and friends will gather on Saturday, July 17 at 9 a.m. at the funeral home, for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 502 Washington St., Wellesley. Burial will be on Monday, July 19, at 11 a.m. in the Old North Cemetery in North Truro, Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: The Parker Adams Small III and Katherine Currier Small Fund for Brain Tumor Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, Brookline, MA 02445, attn: Susan Korsmeyer. For directions and guestbook gfdoherty.com.