Steve Parks, Family Man, Electronic Engineer and 2015 Inductee is Remembered

Steve entered the world in the winter of 1952, the third child of Jack and Mildred (Bradley) Parks. As he approached all matters of life, he exercised his tenacious determination and fought a courageous six-year battle with metastatic cancer. In late July, he succumbed to the disease surrounded by his loving family.

Steve grew up in Antioch, California, attending schools there from 1958 until 1971. He was a resident until 1979. He was a stand-out athlete, playing both baseball and football during his high school years. His athletic abilities earned him a football scholarship to Oregon State University. He left Oregon after a football injury and completed his B.S. at Chico State University. He later took advanced courses at the University of Santa Clara and San Jose State.

Always a hard worker and chock-full of unrelenting perseverance, he experienced many successes in his career as an electronic engineer. For thirty-five years he braved the 680-corridor, commuting three hours each day from his home in Pleasanton to Santa Clara. He worked at Analog Devices as a product manager during the heyday of the semiconductor industry and later at Intersil Corp. as Director of Marketing. He was instrumental in launching new products and procuring patents. He traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe supporting his products. Of his work endeavors, he was most proud of the many engineers he mentored and befriended.

Steve was a family man. He married his wife Marian Fernandes in 1979 and was the father of two sons, Gregory and Jonathan. As a father, he shared his love of sports, his passion for movies, and a desire to see the world. He was also an inspirational “Papa” to four grandchildren. He hosted bug nights, snowball fights, pool parties with pirate ships, and an annual Grinch Night, which featured his handcrafted pinata loaded with loot and trinkets. Steve and Marian traveled all over the world. Marian planned and Steve navigated. They traveled more than a dozen times to Europe, and enjoyed occasional adventures in Asia, Africa, and South America.

After retirement, Steve kept busy with golf, publishing children’s books, and volunteering. He enjoyed weekly golf outings with his fellow “Curmudgeons,” who were old high school friends. He also enjoyed hiking and golf with his Pleasanton/Livermore friends. Beginning in 2013, Steve and Marian wrote and published five children’s books, which kept him busy with bookkeeping and fulfilling orders. He also found time to volunteer and helped launch an annual golf tournament, which raised funds for the Antioch Sports Legends. He was proud to be inducted into the Antioch Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Over the past 71 years, he brought laughter and joyful sarcasm to his family and many lifelong friends, colleagues, and golf buddies. In all manners of life, he was beloved. His friends and family will miss his detailed spreadsheets, his obsessive collections of ball markers, and the love he shared with all.

Obituary Credit: Livermorevine.com