Robert P. Parker

Dr. Robert P. Parker, 76, of Moline, Illinois, died Saturday, July 25, 2015, after a courageous battle with a brain tumor. His final wish was granted when his brain was donated for scientific research at Mayo Clinic.

Services are 2:00 p.m. Monday in the Horizon Room at Trimble Funeral Home at Trimble Pointe, 701 12th Street, Moline, with visitation one hour before the services. Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory, and private burial will be in Greenview Memorial Gardens, East Moline. Bob's family will greet friends at a reception at CityView Celebrations at Trimble Pointe immediately following the service. Memorials may be made to Operation Smile or Mayo Clinic.

Robert Paul Parker was born February 11, 1939, in Bardolph, Illinois, to Paul B. and Ida Marjorie (Riewerts) Parker. He married Sandra Kay Adams on August 22, 1958, in Moline. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1962 with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, received his Master's Degree in Engineering from Penn State in 1968, and his PhD in Engineering Mechanics from Penn State in 1973.

Bob was a Full Professor of Engineering at Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, from 1984 until his retirement in 2003. He also was a Finite Element Analyst for military and construction projects at DJH Engineering, Salt Lake City, Utah, from 1988 until 2007. He previously worked for Harley Davison, Chevrolet, Uniroyal, and Wyle Laboratories, and was contracted to NASA to work on the Apollo missions to improve astronaut safety. He received the Centennial Fellow Award from Penn State. He was a member of First Congregational Church, Moline, Moline Senior Citizen Center, and Bend of the River Barbershop Chorus, and volunteered at Habitat for Humanity. He enjoyed bicycling and swimming, and could type 60 words per minute.

Bob is survived by his devoted wife of 57 years, Sandra; four children, Susan Parker Robinson and her husband Eric of Bremen, Georgia, Katy Parker Dickson and her husband Tom of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Wells Riewerts Parker of Panama City Beach, Florida, and Linda Parker Kuhns and her husband Jason of North Little Rock, Arkansas; eleven grandchildren, Parker and Jordan Meadows, Paul and Sara Robinson, Michael Wells, Audrey Adams, and Sydney Dickson, Clara and Anders Parker, and Jude and Zac Warren Raymond; and siblings, Dr. William Parker and his wife Jane of East Moline, and Linda Wisner of Santa Barbara, California.

Bob's family invites friends to share stories and condolences and light a free candle in his memory at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.