Anita Parks, age 82, was born April 22,
1940, in Halstead, Kansas, the third of six children of Anthon and
Gladys (Walters) Sundbye. She died on Monday, August 1, 2022, at St.
Joseph Mercy Chelsea, from complications of Parkinson?s Disease.
Anita graduated from Halstead High School in 1958, then attended
Southwestern College (KS) for two years. She completed her BA in
education at Wichita State University in 1963, and her MA in
educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University in 1977. She
was married to John W. ?Bill? Todd from 1959, until they divorced
in 1977. They had one son, Corbin. In 1980, she married Harry Parks.
With her son, Corbin Todd, and Harry?s two sons, Matthew and
Benjamin Parks, they became a blended family of five. Anita began her
career in education as a teacher at Mueller Elementary in Wichita, KS
from 1963-1965. In 1965, she and Bill joined the Peace Corps and
served two years in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and the following year
as Peace Corps recruiters in the Midwest region, headquartered in
Chicago. From 1971-1978 she was with the Dexter (MI) Community
Schools, first as an elementary teacher, then as reading consultant
and part-time teacher of academically talented. She was gifted
education consultant for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District
(Ann Arbor, MI) for ten years (1978-1988) and also part time
instructor for Eastern Michigan University. From 1988 until her
retirement in 1994, she was principal of Eberwhite Elementary, Ann
Arbor. After retiring, Anita and Harry moved to central Florida (St.
Cloud, then Orlando) where they remained for 20 years before
returning to Michigan. Life-long Methodists, both were active in the
St. Cloud United Methodist Church, holding leadership positions,
organizing the church library, and making liturgical banners for the
sanctuary. They enjoyed taking many trips, both at home and abroad,
often with family and friends, including special trips with each
grandchild for their tenth birthday. Anita completed master gardener
training and volunteered for several years at the plant clinic at the
Osceola County (FL) extension office. She was also a frequent
volunteer at the St. Cloud Food Pantry. She held several leadership
positions in the St. Cloud Woman?s Club and was instrumental in a
joint project by the Woman?s Club and the City of St. Cloud to
establish the St. Cloud Heritage Museum. The museum, opened in 2003,
was and continues to be operated by Woman?s Club volunteers. Anita
served as its volunteer curator from 2003-2005. She traced her family
history back several generations which led to visiting ancestral
sites in Norway and Ireland. She was a member of the Osceola County
genealogy club and published its award-winning newsletter. Later,
birding became another new and satisfying hobby she and Harry
enjoyed, frequently taking birding trips with friends. After 20 years
in Florida, Anita and Harry moved back to Michigan in 2015, first to
Ypsilanti, then in 2019, to the Chelsea Retirement Community. She
often said how blessed they were to have had so many fulfilling
retirement years. She was preceded in death by her parents; two
sisters, Joy Sundbye and Carolyn Ropp; and one brother, Larry
Sundbye. Survivors include her husband, Harry; son, Corbin Todd and
wife Sandra of Ypsilanti, MI; two stepsons, Matthew Parks and wife
Kristine of Fenton, MI, and Benjamin Parks and wife Holly of Las
Vegas, NV; a sister, Marilee Wear of Salt Lake City, UT; a brother,
Keith Sundbye of Halstead, Kansas; five grandchildren: Lainey Todd,
Michael (Sarah) Parks, Kyle Parks, Hailey (Trent) Madaski, Caitlin
Parks; and two great-grandchildren, Daisy Parks and Charlotte
Madaski. Cremation has taken place. A private memorial service will
be held at a later date. Anita and Harry have requested that their
ashes be scattered on Lake Huron near where they spent many
pleasurable weekends and summer vacations at their condo in Oscoda.
Memorial contributions may be made to United Methodist Retirement
Communities Foundation (UMRC), 805 West Middle Street, Chelsea, MI
48118. Arrangements by Cole Funeral Home, Chelsea.
