Marilyn Gore Parkerson

1939 - June 16, 2022

MARILYN GORE PARKERSON, age 82, died Thursday, June 16, 2022, at Grace Living Personal Care Home in Marietta, GA.

Obituary for Marilyn Gore Parkerson

MARILYN GORE PARKERSON, age 82, died Thursday, June 16, 2022, at Grace Living Personal Care Home in Marietta, GA.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00AM, Saturday, June 25, 2022, at Southerland Funeral Chapel, Eastman, GA.

Mrs. Parkerson was born on September 24, 1939, in Atlanta and raised in Griffin, GA. She was a 1957 graduate of Griffin High School and attended Shorter College in Rome, GA, before attending the University of Georgia. While at UGA, she met her future husband of 52 years, Dr. Don N. Parkerson, Sr. After graduating from UGA with a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology in 1961, she started her teaching career in the Commerce, Banks County, Elbert County school districts. In 1964, she moved to Davenport, Iowa with her husband to pursue his Chiropractic education, before moving to Eastman, GA in 1967.

Her years in Eastman were spent as a dedicated wife, a loving mother, and an active sports mom for Beverly and Don’s many sporting events. She was a Speech Pathologist in the Dodge County School System for 25 years and received her master’s degree in Speech Pathology from Armstrong State University in 1996. She shared her husband’s passion for the University of Georgia and loved attending football, basketball, and gymnastics events. Marilyn was also a certified Master Gardener and an active participant in many organizations.

After retiring in 1999, she moved to Lake Oconee with her husband. While they enjoyed their new life on the lake, Marilyn spent much of her retirement years volunteering her sewing talents to help others. She provided and embroidered countless baby blankets for the First Call Pregnancy Center. Her blankets provided inspiration and hope to many new mothers in the Lake Oconee area. She also worked with Threads of Love, a ministry that provides an embroidered burial gown, blanket, and cap for infant deaths or stillborn babies. Having lost her twins, Dina and Dana, at birth, Marilyn always had compassion for moms who lost infant children.

After the passing of her husband in 2012 and her daughter in 2015, Marilyn’s life became a battle with Alzheimer’s. In 2016, she relocated to Smyrna, GA and remained in the Atlanta area until graduating to her heavenly home on June 16th. Although Alzheimer’s limited her mind, Marilyn had a lasting impact on her caretakers at Provident Village, Grace Living, and Agape Hospice. She took her embroidering machine to Provident and began making baby blankets for the nurses there. She always made her caretakers smile and often asked them for hugs. She was beloved and so well taken care of.

Marilyn had a strong Christian faith and supported missionaries around the world. She was a former member of Eastman First Baptist Church and the River of Life Church at Lake Oconee.

She was the daughter of the late Dr. Ulys R. Gore and Mary Swearengen Gore, widow of the late Dr. Don N. Parkerson, Sr. and was preceded in death by her daughter, Beverly Parkerson Mitchell, and her brother, Captain James R. Gore, Sr.

She is survived by her Son – Dr. Don N. Parkerson, Jr. (Julie) of Kennesaw, GA; 3 Grandchildren – Sadie Parkerson and Micah Parkerson, both of Kennesaw, GA and Dare Mitchell of Godwin, NC; 2 Brothers-In-Law – Dr. Bartow D. Parkerson (Amelia) of Lake Oconee and Rex Parkerson (Caryle) of Eastman; Several Nieces and Nephews.

The family will receive friends at Southerland Funeral Chapel from 10:30AM – 11:00AM before services on Saturday, June 25. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Lake Oconee Threads of Love www.threadsoflove.org or the First Call Pregnancy Center of Greensboro, GA www.firstcall.me/donate.



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