Kenneth "Ken" Ramond Parkinson Jr.
November 16, 1951 ~ November 28, 2025
Kenneth Raymond Parkinson Jr, 74, of Marietta, GA passed away on November 28th, 2025. He was born November 16, 1951 in Atlanta, GA.
Ken grew up in Hapeville GA, where he was a member of the Hapeville Presbyterian Church, Boy Scouts, and Indian Guides. He graduated from Hapeville High School in 1970, where he participated in wrestling and ROTC. He later attended Valdosta State College. He worked with pigment dispersions at P&D Color Co.
He enjoyed the quiet beauty of the outdoors, especially watching birds and sitting on his porch to take in the nature around him. The mountains around Lake Chatuge were among his favorite places to visit with family, attend his annual golf outings with friends, and race corvettes.
As a lifelong fan of history and airplanes, Ken loved learning about the past and sharing stories or facts with family and friends, frequently calling to let them know what military aircraft he had seen that day.
He was also a proud Swiftie, happily listening to “Miss Swift” with his daughters. His favorite album was “Red”, with “Girl at Home” and “Ronan” being his favorite songs.
Ken found joy in the simple comforts of life: good music (particularly 70s rock), Coke Cola, corvettes, NASCAR, golf, Chick-Fil-A, fishing, classic westerns, Chips Ahoys, and chocolate pie. These small pleasures were part of his everyday happiness and reflected his appreciation for the little things.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Laura Parkinson and his parents, Kenneth Parkinson Sr and Maye Parkinson.
He is survived by his two daughters, Lauren and Kelsey Parkinson; brother, Bruce Parkinson and Karen Parkinson; sister, Janis Snipes and Roger Summerlin; and by people he loved and was loved by such as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and other relatives
The family will receive loved ones for visitation at 10am on December 13 at Southern Cremations and Funerals in the Columbarium. A service will follow at 11am in the same place.
In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree in his honor or donating to charities and causes close to his heart:
Plant a Tree: https://plantatree.fs.usda.gov/
Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts in WNC: https://nccf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=16903
Toy Drive for Ukrainian Families: https://www.razomforukraine.org/projects/toydrive/
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Kelsey introduced me to him at Starbucks. What a nice guy and great Dad. He will be missed.
I got to meet Ken when he drove Kelsey and I to a braves game and he was just such a joy. He had me cracking up and I could just tell he brought light to everyone. The love between him and his daughters is something so special and I know he is watching over them (and listening to tswift)
I met Ken about 40 years ago as a salesman supplying the ink business. At first it was a professional relationship, but over the years it became a friendship and grew into a close personal relationship. We shared story’s and events about our lives and family. I remember when he told me he had met this nice cute girl at a wedding over the weekend that he really liked. Shortly after that, I met Jill. He shared many stories about his daughters Lauren and Kelsey, as they entered the world and through their lives. One golfing weekend up in Hiawassee, at the family cabin, the girls were bored and wanted to come up to the mountains that weekend as well. It was a great pleasure spending time with his beautiful, intelligent daughters. We used to see each other at least once a year for the “Mountain Outing” if no other. I moved to Kentucky 3 years ago and had not seen Ken since May of 2022. I got an unexpected call from him about a month ago. He was going through his phone and saw my name and decided to give me a ring. We had a nice conversation catching up, he had forgotten I had moved away. In retrospect, I thank God for that unexpected gift. In a way it is a reminder not to hesitate to pick up that phone and reach out to a friend or family you have not talked to for a while. Rest in peace Ken, you will be missed. I send my sincere condolences to Lauren and Kelsey. I also send my regrets, as I will not be able to attend the service next week, but you will be in my prayers.