Rick Parker is a well-traveled man with an impressive resume by any standards, but his family and faith come first.  Living in Colorado in 1985, he met, fell in love, and married his wife Marianne.  Together, they have two children—James, and Jennifer, who is married to their son-in-law, Nick Reed.

Both Rick and Marianne grew up in military families who moved around the world.  Rick’s memories of those years are intertwined with the many places they lived and visited. Seeing the Catholic faith practiced in so many different places and cultures remains a highlight for Rick to this day.

Rick is a West Point graduate and went on to serve for five years in several places across the globe.  After retiring from the army in 1990, Rick moved to Northwest Arkansas and went on to enjoy a 28-year career at Walmart where he continued to travel the world visiting Central and South America, Europe and Africa.  As in his military days, Rick also continued to experience and practice his Catholic faith both at home and abroad.

These days, Rick enjoys his granddaughter, Caroline, mentoring young people applying to West Point, honoring our fallen service men & women by placing flags on their graves at military cemeteries, volunteering at St. Vincent de Paul Church, as well as supporting the NWA Children’s Center.