Visitor’s Center conference room named in honor of late Dr. Beverly Parker
Published 6:16 pm Friday, October 18, 2024
The Dr. Beverly Parker Conference Room was dedicated in Parker’s honor at the Ben J. Rogers Regional Visitors Center in Beaumont Wednesday. (Courtesy photo)
A plaque in honor of Dr. Beverly Parker. (Courtesy photo)
Regina Rogers speaks of Parker during the dedication ceremony. (Courtesy photo)
Magistrate Judge Marc DeRouen, left, Beverly and Carl’s son Allen Parker, and County Commissioner Michael Shane Sinegal. (Courtesy photo)
A scene from the dedication. (Courtesy photo)
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BEAUMONT — The leadership, service and generosity of Dr. Beverly Parker lives on in the people she positively influenced and the philanthropic endeavors she championed.
On Wednesday the Dr. Beverly Parker Conference Room was dedicated in her honor at the Ben J. Rogers Regional Visitors Center in Beaumont.
“I’m so thankful we have been given the opportunity to dedicate our conference room in Dr. Beverly Parker’s honor, Kathi Weathington Hughes, director of the Visitors Center, told the Port Arthur News. “She was not only the chair of the Jefferson County Tourism Committee for over 24 years, but she was also my friend and mentor. Dr. Parker was a guiding light for our committee and led with fairness and eloquence. We are blessed to have this room dedicated to her so we can always have a part of her with us at our visitor’s center. She is loved and missed beyond measure.”
The dedication ceremony featured local officials and dignitaries.
Regina Rogers shared a few personal sentiments about the “remarkable and wonderful Beverly Parker.”
“Beverly walked the walk in her daily life,” Rogers said. “Kind, caring and humble, and a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she also was a passionate educator first teaching in elementary school at St Joseph Catholic Church and then at Lamar Port Arthur for 31 years.”
“Encouraged as a child by both her mother and father to be of help to those who needed it everyday of her life, Beverly worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others.”
Rogers was honored many years ago to present Parker with a Lamar community service award named for her parents (Ben and Julie Rogers) in recognition of her dedication to more than a dozen organizations that depended on her leadership and guidance, including Jefferson County Tourism Committee when this building was opened in 2007.
Rogers went on to say Parker was an ovarian cancer survivor for more than 20 years and was an advocate for educating women about the importance of early detection.
“And when Beverly’s ovarian cancer reoccurred, she was courageous, strong and brave and concerned only about the wellbeing of Carl and her family, never leaving his side as she cared for him, her partner of 64 years until he passed away five weeks before she did and she knew she must join him,” she said. “It was these relationships with family and friends that gave meaning to Beverly’s life.”
Deeply spiritual, Parker believed the essence of God was love, mercy and selflessness, and she quietly shared these virtues with everyone,” Rogers said.
“Beverly continually reminded us that love is the most powerful force in the universe and there still is abundant goodness in the world and hope for a better future,” she said.
Dr. Beverly Parker died April 25 at the age of 86 about a month after her husband, Senator Carl Parker.
Parker began her career as an elementary school teacher and went on to create a business etiquette class at Port Arthur College, currently Lamar State College Port Arthur.
She earned a masters and doctorate degree in political science and taught at the collegiate level. According to her obituary, Parker’s 31-year career at LSCPA includes serving as chair of the liberal arts department and chair of the distinguished speaker series. She organized and formed the LSCPA Faculty-Senate and received the Julie and Ben Rogers Community Service Award.
She worked with a number of organizations including the YMCA, the Recovery Center for Southeast Texas, the Jefferson County Visitor’s Bureau, the Service League of Port Arthur, and the Gulf Coast Gala. She was a member of the Jefferson County Central Appraisal Review Board until last year, when she resigned at age 85. She supported the Gift of Life organization and was their 2023 recipient of the Shining Light Award, according to her obituary.
