Submit a PhotoCynthia J. Parker, 74, was born on November 9, 1949 to Mary Helen Parker and Charles W. Parker II.
Cynthia was very accomplished, hardworking and a selfless person. She was loved by many people. In her time she accomplished earning her BS at Arizona State University, her Masters degree at Cal State University and finally her Ph.D at Northern Arizona University. She worked as a talented interior designer for 18 years. She then began a career teaching at NAU and a few of the Maricopa community colleges; with her longest time being at Phoenix College starting in 1998. She taught a large variety of classes related to interior design and history of design. She worked on multiple historic preservation projects where many times she would include students. This included work at the Arizona State Capitol and other historic sites in Arizona like the Milligan house, Riordan Mansion State Historic Park and Wrigley Mansion. Cynthia was enthusiastic to be involved in other various projects that included volunteer work, one of them being the Ronald McDonald House. Even after retiring, Cynthia continued to teach at Phoenix College part time because she enjoyed it so much. Cynthia adored her family and loved her work in teaching. She enjoyed going to her cabin in Payson, crossword puzzles, reading books and going to dinners/breakfasts with family and friends. She of course cherished spending time with her two daughters, son in law and her two beloved grandsons.
Cynthia passed away peacefully on July 12, 2024 in Chandler, Arizona. She left us in body but not in spirit. We miss her immensely but will never forget her love and kindness.
Cynthia is survived by her daughters Kristin and Erin; and 2 grandchildren.
The funeral service will be held at 6:30 pm on Friday August 9, 2024 at Gilbert Memorial Park, 2100 East Queen Creek Road, Gilbert AZ 85297.
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I knew Cynthia for many years while working at Phoenix College, and her Love for teaching, one of her most prized accomplishments was the redesigning the rooms at the McDonald house. She was a kind and gentle person and Loved her daughters and just adored those grandchildren. I will miss her
I will miss seeing you my beautiful friend, and imagine you enjoying every bit of Heaven with Jesus.
Thank you for your friendship and for happy memories.
Condolences to Cynthia’s family. I was lucky to be able to work with her at Phoenix College. She was a bright light for all of us. I will miss her.
I met Cynthia years ago when we judged an Egyptian costume contest . She was so well-prepared to authenticate the workmanship & brought pictorial examples from her historic class resources. Cynthia was so thoughtful and kind! Her students loved her & helped her with so many outside projects. She had me laughing when she shared about the huge men from Luke Airforce Base who volunteered to paint the interior makeover that she designed for a local women’s crisis shelter. We had fun at Phoenix College with Department Meetings, pot-lucks, & get-togethers. Cynthia served on the PC Green Committee, so we set up booths side by side for the Earth Day marketplace at Sophomore Square. Her students created basket-bowls woven from plastic bags & artwork from old CDs that were broken in pieces to use as mirrored shapes in framed designs. Cynthia was my strong est supporter on the hiring committee to select a new Program Director for Interior Design. And even after she retired, she still emailed me unusual articles and features online about unique fashions! Bless her for the lovely gift that she was to everyone around her! I truly miss her; she left us too soon. ????
I was blessed to get to know Cynthia through our son. Cynthia was a very kind, caring and loving woman. She was a very special “Grammy” to her grandsons. She was always doing something special for her grandsons whether taking a special route home from school or picking out unique birthday or Christmas gift. Cynthia was a joy to be around at family gatherings . She was always positive and outgoing to everyone- laughing and sharing her thoughts on whatever the conversation was about. Cynthia was a lovely mother, friend and special woman ????
My dearest and beloved cousin. I was so very fond of Cynthia. She was the closest thing to a sister that I had. I will miss our visits where we would talk for hours about everything. We had so much fun together in our youth. As the years passed, though we might not have seen each other in awhile, but we could always pick up where we left off whenever we did connect up. I will truly miss her. Farewell my dear cousin and, May the Lord shower you with all his love and blessings.
Cynthia was my mentor and friend. Working with her and others at Phoenix College was the highlight of my teaching career. What a beautiful environment she helped to create for students and faculty alike.
She will be deeply missed. My heart aches writing this message. My condolences to all who loved and knew her. What a blessing to have shared such precious time together.