Steven H. Parker

Steve was one of the great ones, as I believe somebody here has already said.

I still recall meeting him for the first time. I flew all the way from California to Boston and then drove out to this place called Concord for the interview. He and his brilliance changed the direction of my life, showing me the depths to be plumbed in the marketing, communications and public relations field. He's why I'm still working in technology PR.

I last saw him

Steve was one of the great ones, as I believe somebody here has already said.

I still recall meeting him for the first time. I flew all the way from California to Boston and then drove out to this place called Concord for the interview. He and his brilliance changed the direction of my life, showing me the depths to be plumbed in the marketing, communications and public relations field. He's why I'm still working in technology PR.

I last saw him when I was in the Boston area just a few months ago. He talked ideas; he talked about his latest plans. He made me wish I was still in the Boston area to be a part of them.

Lisa, Bethany, Emily, Meri, Linnea: Melissa and I are thinking of you and wish you all the best in this difficult time.

-Derek

Ever since my brother Chip called to let me know of Steve's passing, he's been on my mind. I feel his strong spirit. We shared several family gatherings. He was the perfect compliment/soul mate to Lsa and a beautiful father and son-in-law to his family. What a sweet guy. I'm so sad for Lisa and Linnea that they won't have him in physical from to share life's experiences now. I hope that your healing is gentle, smoothed by your memories.
Love, Elana

Although Steve may have been known as "the launch guy", he helped me turn around several long-standing businesses over the last decade. He was a trusted colleague and mentor to me, always willing to help me figure out how to get a company's strategy unstuck -- when no one else could.

Steve possessed the rare combination of creative brilliance and humility. In difficult times, hostile environments and politically-charged situations, he treated everyone with kindness and respect.

I am shocked and

Although Steve may have been known as "the launch guy", he helped me turn around several long-standing businesses over the last decade. He was a trusted colleague and mentor to me, always willing to help me figure out how to get a company's strategy unstuck -- when no one else could.

Steve possessed the rare combination of creative brilliance and humility. In difficult times, hostile environments and politically-charged situations, he treated everyone with kindness and respect.

I am shocked and saddened to have to speak of Steve in the past tense. Despite his hard-earned wisdom, he never lost his childish curiosity or open-mindedness. I will miss him as a colleague, advisor and friend.

And I know his other long-standing clients will too.

Our most sincere condolences to Lisa, Linnea, and all of Steve's close family and friends on this tragic loss. Whenever I spoke with Steve he would always be talking about something he did with Linnea, with Lisa, or with other friends or family. He was so committed to being there for those he loved. He will be sorely missed. Chip Kaplove
I am glad I was able to spend some time with Steve at the end of May when visiting Ron

Our most sincere condolences to Lisa, Linnea, and all of Steve's close family and friends on this tragic loss. Whenever I spoke with Steve he would always be talking about something he did with Linnea, with Lisa, or with other friends or family. He was so committed to being there for those he loved. He will be sorely missed. Chip Kaplove
I am glad I was able to spend some time with Steve at the end of May when visiting Ron and Patty in Portland. I will always remember his gentle spirit and soft kind ways as he played ball with Linnea and conversed with us all, smiling all the while. Steve, you will be missed by all. Judy Kaplove

Steve was such a wonderful man, incredibly smart and talented. I'm so sad to see him go too soon. I will miss our phone chats - we'd always share some kid stories, I'd get the scoop on the older girls and their news, chuckle about funny goings-on and he'd have some quip that would keep me laughing through the day.

We began working together again last Monday and I was truly looking forward to working with him again after too long.

Steve was such a wonderful man, incredibly smart and talented. I'm so sad to see him go too soon. I will miss our phone chats - we'd always share some kid stories, I'd get the scoop on the older girls and their news, chuckle about funny goings-on and he'd have some quip that would keep me laughing through the day.

We began working together again last Monday and I was truly looking forward to working with him again after too long. Always a pleasure to deal with, very fair, a good mentor, a good friend.

With him at the helm, TLC "alumni" have stuck together. We will all miss him, but I hope that in the spirit of Steve we will continue on. I know I'm on it "like white on rice," as Steve would say.

Steve and all of the Parker family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Michelle

Hey BP,

So sorry to hear about your Dad. You always spoke of him with such love and admiration - I'm sure he's still feeling it - even now.

Sending you and your family warm thoughts & hugs,

Kristina, Dale & Quin

When I interviewed for my position with Steve’s public relations firm back in 1996 I knew instantly that it was the right fit for me. Steve was leading my interview but kept getting pulled out of the conference room to attend to some client’s emergency of the day. Other people from the agency would pop in and continue the interview until he came back and started up again. Within an hour, I think I spoke to four different people, fully

When I interviewed for my position with Steve’s public relations firm back in 1996 I knew instantly that it was the right fit for me. Steve was leading my interview but kept getting pulled out of the conference room to attend to some client’s emergency of the day. Other people from the agency would pop in and continue the interview until he came back and started up again. Within an hour, I think I spoke to four different people, fully answered about seven questions, half-answered about 17 questions and never answered about 25 questions. I had an offer within 24 hours and started work the following week. It was an inspiring ride that did not end until the doors of The Launch Company closed for the final time on February 14th of 2002. We sat together in his office that morning and reminisced about the good times, the challenges and the committed team of professionals that all worked so diligently to make the company far more of a family than a job.

For those who never had the opportunity to be in a new business or strategy meeting with Steve, it was an experience like no other. He was, by nature, a quiet personality who allowed others to take the lead role and glamour positions. When a meeting began, he would sit at one end of the table and take reams of paper full of notes. He would let others banter back and forth and then, at a certain point…and after a while you could just feel it coming…he would lean in and say something along the lines of, “Here’s how I see this situation…” At that point he would talk about challenges, ideas, branding, classifications, competition and proper product placement. In a matter of hours since he first was briefed on a product he would educate executives of companies on the product and market that they had been working on and in for years. It was truly a thing of beauty.

Was he perfect? No. If you needed a press release done by Thursday at noon, it was always a good move to tell Steve that the client needed it by Tuesday at 5:00. Then it helped to hang out in his office doorway all day Wednesday and say, “Hey, how’s it coming?” You always got the, “It’s just about there…” When you were handed that release though, it was gold. His writing was so tight and clean that there was never a wasted word. No one could write a 50 word description of a company better than Steve Parker.

It had been over a year since Steve and I had seen each other. We recently corresponded by email about some exciting things that were percolating in his professional life and decided to meet for lunch to review. We were supposed to get together on June 30th but he had just closed a new account and was trying to wrap some things up before he snuck away for a few days off. We pushed back our lunch until July 21st, no big deal…after a year, what’s another few weeks? I was so looking forward to that get-together (that still exists on my Outlook calendar) to share some stories, laughs and to just catch up with an old friend. That “other few weeks” devastatingly turned into a very big deal. I missed my opportunity and will forever regret not having one last chance to share some time with someone I respected and cared for so very much.

Patrick

Lisa and Family -

I hope your memories carry you through this difficult time.

Steve was such a good/kind man - I will miss working with him.

You are/will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Bob Bartley

Stevie, today is a perfect summer day at the Lake. The kind of day that brings memories of kids playing in Lake Shore Park – without a care in the world. Warm sun, with just enough light breeze to move the leaves, and no humidity!

If I close my eyes, I see you on the porch of the camp, sitting in your Adirondack chair. You were so proud that daughter Em had built that chair just for you. You’re likely reading

Stevie, today is a perfect summer day at the Lake. The kind of day that brings memories of kids playing in Lake Shore Park – without a care in the world. Warm sun, with just enough light breeze to move the leaves, and no humidity!

If I close my eyes, I see you on the porch of the camp, sitting in your Adirondack chair. You were so proud that daughter Em had built that chair just for you. You’re likely reading a ‘Robert B. Parker’ novel and trying to stay awake. Just like Dad’s ‘newspaper naps’ on the same deck, but he was in a webbed chair. The overhead pines shade you and green surrounds you in all directions but straight ahead. Your eyes take in the Lake vista one more time and you gaze lovingly and with humor at ‘Harry’s Point’. You told me this spring that, like Dad, you never tired of looking at it. Now when I see it, and rest on Mom and Dad’s Memorial Bench, you will be remembered and grieved for as well.

But I am also flooded with the happiest childhood memories of summers at the Lake. Watching you and your group of friends, who eventually became ‘The Blackhawks’ play and run and enjoy all the activities kids love. Your white blond hair, bleached from the sun and your golden brown tan that seemed to appear overnight – I was always jealous of your tans! I see your thrilled face when Uncle Bob Parker let you ‘pilot’ his boat…you were still a little guy, maybe about grandson David’s age. You swam with your friends all day long, even when it was cloudy and rained, at the Graf/Hosmer dock. We kids, both your age group and mine, spent every good summer day there. We all learned to swim and dive there, and even to drive boats that weren’t ours.

The Park was such a special place for you, and our family. That never changed as we grew into adults and gave our own children the gift of the perfect summer home. Now your grandchildren will discover the magic at the Lake…and their Aunt Linnea will be leading the way.

Here, more than anywhere else, I will feel your presence. Childhood memories, that only a few of us are left to share, will be re-visited with both laughter and tears. You will always be in the heart of the stories, your dry humor and quick wit. Your sense of the ridiculous. Your love for your friends. Your fairness and kindness even while just out for a bike ride through the Park.

You were the best younger brother, and even more wonderful as an adult. I only wish I had told you more often how much I love you. You will be missed forever.

Your ‘Sissy’

Lisa, Linnea and so many immediate and extended family members, I am so very sorry for your loss. Such a wonderful, kind, unassuming, peaceful and loving man. I feel priveleged to have been his friend and to have had the opportunity to share the enlightening journey of boyhood to manhood together. Even as an adolescent, Steve was so full of humility and grace, though as a teen he already was immensely talented as a writer and as a musician. He

Lisa, Linnea and so many immediate and extended family members, I am so very sorry for your loss. Such a wonderful, kind, unassuming, peaceful and loving man. I feel priveleged to have been his friend and to have had the opportunity to share the enlightening journey of boyhood to manhood together. Even as an adolescent, Steve was so full of humility and grace, though as a teen he already was immensely talented as a writer and as a musician. He could figure out all the different musical instrument parts of almost any song, along with the intricate guitar solos that he deciphered, then flawlessly played. He was the first one of us to do many things; the first to see a concert (Led Zeppelin at the very small venue Boston Tea Party), the first to get his drivers license, the first to get married, but so sadly now, the first to pass on. He will be so missed by everyone that he touched, but as we wind on down the road, there is comfort in knowing that he is most assuredly on the stairway to heaven.