Meet Your Neighbor - Lamar "Dewey" Parker

What could be better than growing up in a little mountain town with plenty of opportunities to explore the outdoors, shoot BB guns, and slide down steep slopes? Not much, according to Niwot resident Lamar "Dewey" Parker. Parker was raised in northern Utah and describes his childhood as "idyllic in many respects."

However, there were difficulties within his family and his parents divorced when he was 12 years old. After the divorce his mother's financial resources were limited. Parker began working part-time at age 14 as a handyman in an ice cream shop.

A summer or two later, he was hired by the owner of a fire and burglar alarm company. His first assignment was to plant grass on a two-acre property. By the time he was 16 he was also responsible for running the owner's warehouse, monitoring the alarms and directing the calls to the appropriate emergency services.

Savings from his jobs allowed him to fulfill his dream of accompanying his German teacher and classmates on a three-week trip to England, France, and Germany. His horizons and dreams quickly grew much larger.

Parker knew he wanted to be both an engineer and a pilot. He applied to CalTech and the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) and was accepted at both. Affording CalTech would be an insurmountable challenge, he thought. Parker had been inspired by the Air Force experience of his best friend's father, and also knew that the USAFA offered both the aeronautical and astronautical engineering majors he was interested in.

His grades, SAT scores, fitness level and, undoubtedly, his work ethic and experience, earned him an acceptance. It also earned him a fully paid education and an opportunity to serve his country. Happily, his best friend was also accepted and they later ended up in the same pilot training class.

After graduation Parker served in the Air Force for 27 years. During a year of training to qualify for the free fall jump team, one person made it very clear he did not like Parker's first name. "Lamar," he said, "what's your middle name?" Lamar said, "Dewey." His friend said, "Well, at least that's a little better," and over time everyone in Parker's life switched to calling him Dewey.

It is impossible to adequately describe Parker's extensive military contributions. His most demanding role was as a special ops pilot who flew forces into and out of conflicts in Panama, the Gulf War, and Kosovo. He also flew a few missions for the elite Delta Force. His most influential role was during his rank as colonel, with thousands of people under his leadership.

After his departure from the Air Force, Parker taught a senior executive course for the National Security Space Institute to top military leaders and worked for a cyberspace operations consultancy.

Parker stressed the role that the armed services plays in promoting meritocracy, in leveling the playing field. He observed that countless young people from small towns, farms and ranches have been able to achieve goals far beyond what they otherwise would have reached. He said that people's first exposure to other races and cultures often occurs in the military, and that the military has helped make strides in addressing social issues. Labeling the military as "woke" is not something Parker agrees with.

Parker and his wife, Elizabeth have two sons, John who lives in Colorado Springs, and Ben, a sophomore at University of Colorado. Elizabeth Parker graduated from the Air Force Academy several years after her husband and is an Air Force veteran. She divides her time between Niwot and Colorado Springs, works as an eye surgery nurse and is completing renovations to their rental property.

When the Parkers were considering moving from Monument, Colorado to a smaller town after his retirement, they happened to see a feature story about Niwot on the news and decided to drive up for a visit. They received an enthusiastic welcome everywhere, beginning with Niwot Inn's Cornelia Sawle and Carissa Brandes, and Inkberry Books' Gene Hayworth and Keith Waters. The Parkers were sold, and after two years of house-hunting closed on their home in the Johnson Farm neighborhood in April 2023.

Parker says that he has two retirement goals. One is to travel, especially with family and old friends. "Traveling with people I care about is my priority." His other goal is to "plug into the community in as many ways as I can." He said that he walks everywhere–being out in the neighborhood on foot makes it easy for him to run across people and make friends.

Parker is active in the Niwot Community Connection (NCC), hosting the men's coffee gatherings, participating in the book discussion group, and raising a glass at Thirsty Thursday socials. He also serves on the Johnson Valley HOA architectural board and walks dogs at the Longmont Humane Society. He reads extensively and is particularly interested in issues related to indigenous populations and to the post Civil War African-American experience.

He said his sister, who lives in southern Arizona, is recently widowed and hopes to relocate to Niwot soon.