Diann Parker was no ordinary woman. She was extraordinary. She was no mediocre teacher. She was exceptionally passionate. She was no bore. She was extremely comical even theatrical. She poured her entire life into the lives of others whether that was teaching in schools or in a Sunday School classroom. She was a true wonder. Over the years, she put on countless plays, organized and designed hundreds of yearbooks, read thousands of papers, and directed countless beauty reviews. It is impossible to capture all she did and was, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try.
Diann Parker was my aunt, the sister of my mother. She affectionately called me Jen Bug. My earliest childhood memories are of our family vacations and holidays spent together. Sometimes I thought I spent as much time at her house curled up on the couch watching crime shows with her as I did at my own house. She burned brownies and caught lizards like it was an art form. She also was the first person to get car sick on road trips. She brought plastic bags to amusement parks to cover her hair on the water rides. I never once saw her leave the house without her hair and makeup done. She always kept us laughing and smiling. All the way to end, she was nonstop entertainment in our family. She loved all of us so fiercely and would have done absolutely anything for us. She was and will always be such an integral part of our family. She is the reason that I take my title as aunt so seriously and make it my mission to love and care for my nieces and nephews even half as well as she loved and cared for us.
Diann Parker was my teacher. When we moved to Grenada in 1996, we attended Kirk Academy because my aunt was teaching there. It was a rite of passage in our family to be taught by her. From Demeka and Kayla to Justin and Anna Lora all the way down to me. The highlight of my academic career was getting to sit under her as my teacher. Her care for my academics started long before I was in her classroom though. She fought for me to catch up on honors classes in order for me to be eligible for Valedictorian which I ultimately was able to obtain because of those changes. She pushed me to excel in all that I did and to follow through on any goal I set. There were few things she took more seriously than teaching English Literature and inspiring us to write from deep within ourselves. She instilled in me a love and passion for writing. She saw something in me and stoked the flame to teach me how to tell a captivating and personal story. Anytime I can’t make sense of things in the world, I write. Why do I do that? Because Diann Parker taught me how to do exactly that. She taught me so much in life — the least of which was educational and the most of which was how to live my life in pursuit of the Lord. I watched her teach a classroom, love her students, and pour her heart into every club or play she sponsored. She expected so much of us and never allowed us to give any less than she knew we were capable of.
Diann Parker was a legend not only for who she was but for how she lived. She cheered me on from the basketball gym bleachers at almost every basketball game I had. She showed up for every graduation to show her support. She always saw my potential and pushed me in that direction. She believed in my writing and she encouraged me to write, write, and write some more. She was never afraid to provide constructive criticism in the form of her infamous red pen marks. She knew the truth would force me to grow and teach me to learn from my mistakes. She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. She pushed me toward a path of success when I was willing to just fade into the background. She inspired me to follow my dreams and never let anyone stand in the way of what God was calling me to do. I watched her faithfully serve the body of Christ and the people of Grenada for the sake of the Gospel week in and week out. She taught Vacation Bible School, played the piano for services, led a women’s Sunday School class, and went on mission trips to Ukraine. She inspired not only me but countless others to follow harder after Jesus.
Over the last 10 years, we have watched her slowly fade away. Alzheimer’s stole from us the Diann Parker we all knew and loved. It started small, but as time wore on, she was a shell of who she once was. It wasn’t fair by any means. It makes no sense why something like this would happen to her. We clung to our memories and did what we could to support her and keep her safe. It was devastating losing her one day at a time. None of that takes away from who she was though and the impact she had on all of us. I will carry her with me in the way I write, in the way I choose joy over complaining, and in the way I choose compassion for my students over judgement. We are so thankful to God that she is healed and whole in the presence of our Savior, Jesus. Now that her light is gone from this world, I hope and pray that we can shine our lights for Christ a little brighter in her absence.
In the words of Diann Parker, “good night!”
