Parks, Frances

Frances Betty Parks
May 1926 – November 2020

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that the family of Frances Parks announces her passing on November 27, 2020 at the age of 94.
She was known for her kind and compassionate spirit and her great sense of humour. Her passions were her family, music, golf and gardening.

Frances was born and raised in Kitchener to Edward and Martha Trump. She learned to play the piano at a young age. She later attended the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto where she grew to be a very accomplished pianist. When she returned to Kitchener, she continued her skills by performing several concerts with renowned singers as well as performing with the Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestras. Later she had her own time slot on the radio where her concerts earned her the name: “Star of 101 Minutes of Charm”

Frances was also an excellent golfer. She won the Ladies Club Championship at almost every course she joined: Rockway Golf, Westmount, Glendale, Hamilton Golf, and Springfield. She also had six holes in one, the last one at the Galt Country Club when she was in her late 80’s. It was through golf that she met the love of her life, Donald Parks. They lived in Hamilton for 8 years then on to Burlington and eventually to the cottage on Puslinch Lake. Most of their winters were spent in Florida.

For the past three years Frances stayed at the Village of Arbour Trails Retirement home in Guelph. She had a lovely room with a beautiful view of the pond. She entertained the residents by playing the piano for Sunday services and special events. In order to keep her spirits up she decided to take up a new skill and learned to play the ukulele.

Frances lived life to the fullest, always with a positive attitude and a smile on her face. She loved spending time with her family. She had a way of making people feel special. No matter what you did or what you cooked it was always, “the best ever”.

Frances is predeceased by her husband Donald in 2005. She will be deeply missed by her children, Ginny (Jim), and Jeff (Kellie), by her grandchildren Alexandra, Erinn (Brad), Jessie and Riley, and great grandchildren Luca and Rocco.

We would like to thank the staff at The Village of Arbour Trails for the wonderful care that they gave Frances for the past three years.

A private service for the family has taken place.
In lieu of flowers donations in her honour may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the charity of your choice.