Frank Parker (Pop Shawn Brady) died

I am so glad he enjoyed himself so much after he retired. He decided he wanted to enjoy his last years, and yes, he was all Wally Kurth says. (I read some years ago, a post by a couple gals who ran into him & his wife at an ice cream parlor. He & his wife sat with them, jabbered away, he told them he decided to leave the show, just to have more time to just enjoy...........everything. And he did. I just loved reading about him & his wife, out for a stroll, stopping to have ice cream at a table outside.....God Bless him, we were lucky to have had him for the time we did.
 
FRANK PARKER

IN LOVING MEMORY

JULY 1, 1939-SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

(Grandpa Shawn Brady)

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Frank Russell Parker passed away on Sunday, Sept. 16, at the age of 79 in Vacaville, from complications of Parkinson's and dementia. He was born July 1, 1939 in Darby, PA to Dorothy Ada Platner and Edward Wallace Parker. He was raised in Lansdowne, PA by his mother and step father Maurice Gordon. He spent many happy summers with his grandmother Mabel Green in upstate New York. He earned his BA in Acting from Carnegie Tech in 1962 and moved to Culver City. He married Nola Donelle Rajcok in 1981 and had three daughters, Candace Donelle and fraternal twins Danielle Dallas and Lindsay Kyle. In 2005, he married Mary Jean Dunning Garofalo and resided in Vacaville, until his death. His acting career spanned many years. He was in numerous films and television series throughout the 60's and 70's. He played roles on several soap operas during the 80's, most notably as Grandpa Shawn Brady on Days of Our Lives from 1983 until he retired in 2008. Frank was a people person; he touched many lives and was loved by everyone. He could light up a room with his singing voice and was known to burst into song at any moment. He was a ham and loved the spotlight. Above all, he was the most supportive, generous, kind man and father. Frank loved his family. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Candi; mother-in-law, Dorothy Jean Wachsman Dunning, and former father-in-law, Robert Rajcok. He is survived by his wife, Mary; daughters, Danielle (Matthew) Buckles, Lindsay Parker (Travis Burbank) and their mother, Nola; his grandson, Jaxson Dale; sisters-in-law, Jo Dunning, Patricia Dunning; brother-in-law, Bob Dunning; former mother-in-law, Sharon Rajcok; sisters-in-law, Mary Rajcok, Andi Jurich; brothers-in-law, Robert Rajcok, Dale Espina, Kevin Fox; also, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. In loving memory of Frank, a rosary will be held on Wednesday Sept. 26, at 7 p.m., at Saint Mary's Catholic Church, 350 Stinson Ave., Vacaville, CA 95688. Funeral service will be held in Los Angeles, CA at a later date. In Frank's honor, donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Mary's Catholic Church at the above address. "It's never goodbye...it's always, 'I'll see ya later.'" Frank Parker
(Obituary courtesy: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thereporter/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=190308984)
 
FRANK PARKER: IN HIS OWN WORDS: A LOOK BACK AT HIS TIME ON "DAYS OF OUR LIVES".

Frank Parker (Grandpa Shawn), who passed away earlier this month at the age of 79, rarely gave interviews. Here's a look back at some of the few interviews he did during his time on "Days":

"When Days first went on the air [in 1965], I read for the part of Bill Horton. Betty and Ted [Corday] were at the readings at Rene Valenti's office at the old Screen Gems. I went in and I read for it, and they said 'Really good, but I think you might be a bit too young.' [Parker was 26 at the time]. Parker then suggested someone else for the role, the man who would eventually get the job: "There is a buddy of mine out here from Pittsburgh. He is a really good actor: Ed Mallory." (from "Days of Our Lives: A Complete History of the Long-Running Soap Opera, by Maureen Russell)

In 1986's Everything You Want to Know About Days of Our Lives, Parker had this say about playing Shawn and his time at "Days": "I love the character. They write so well for him, they really do. It is just a lot of fun to play. It is not a chore at all. This place is like going to a party every day. There's a great cast here. One of the best companies I've ever worked with. Talent all the way around...Drake [Hogestyn, John] and I have a great rapport together. Deidre [Hall, Marlena] is without saying. She is the lady that keeps my head up on the show. I couldn't learn my lines without her. Patsy Pease [Kimberly] is amazing. A very talented girl."

Parker summed up what he thought about Shawn Brady in 1992's The Wonderful World of Days of Our Lives: He is just a simple man. His family is the forefront of everything that he believes in. The Irish are like that...Family and church, basic beliefs. Nothing fancy, that's just the way you do it." And from 1987's Everything You Want to Know About Days of Our Lives, Parker had this to say: "It will never be lonely at the Brady house! Shawn and Caroline are two caring, loving people and they'll never be at a loss for friends and family."

Asked what his favorite scene was, Parker said this in 1995's "Days of Our Lives: The Complete Family Album" by Lorraine Zenka: "Every scene with my daughters Kimberly and Kayla was always special to me. Even when it's your make-believe kid, you can't help but feel the fear, love, and it's as real in your scene as it would be in your real life. It broke my heart and often brought me to tears to watch Kimberly going through blindness and split personalities."

When Parker was asked in 1992's The Wonderful World of Days of Our Lives if he ever felt like he and Peggy McCay (Caroline) were really married, he responded: "There is no way that woman I could ever be married! I have the utmost respect for her. I admire her talent and she is one of the greatest women I have ever known in my life. Married? We could never be, we'd fight all the time. Peg is Peg and she has her causes and things. She is marvelous and so much fun to work with."

Parker had this to say about the older generation: "I grew up with my grandparents. I can't imagine a world without older people. It would be like looking at a flower garden with one color flower in it. You could only smell one and what a sin that would be if that was the only flower. That's not the way the world was designed."
 
Frank Parker as old Shawn was the best. He did a fine job playing the patriarch of a thoroughly dysfunctional family that included the impossible Sami. However, I always wondered why he didn't officially ban EJ from the Pub. It would have been a good scene to see Bo and Roman pitch the creep out the door headfirst.
 
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