Ted Parker, a mobile home entrepreneur in Lumberton, North Carolina, has died. He was 71.
According to The Robesonian, he was a “well-known name in North Carolina” who formerly owned Ted Parker Home Sales of Lumberton.
The newspaper reported that Parker died on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at his home in Calabash, North Carolina.
Carolina Homes of Lumberton confirmed Parker’s death, writing, “In memory of the celebration of life for Ted Parker. We will be closed Saturday, January 13th. Please continue to keep the family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.”
According to his obituary, “Teddy ‘Ted’ Dale Parker, age 71, of Sunset Beach, NC, formerly of Lumberton, NC, passed away Tuesday, January 9, 2024. He was born in Robeson County, NC on January 6, 1953 to the late Marvin L. ‘Bud’ & Eunice Grace B. Parker.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Ted Parker’s Cause of Death Was Not Released, but He suffered ‘Medical Issues’ for Several Years, Reports Say
Parker’s cause of death was not released. However, former employee Marty Wright told the Robesonian that Parker “had suffered from medical issues over the last few years.” He didn’t specify the nature of those medical issues.
“He was just a real person. Down to earth,” said Wright, to the news site. “He came from nothing and made something, so he understood what it was to not have anything. So he was never above anybody he ever spoke to.”
According to the Robesonian, Parker owned a 13,000-square-foot mansion in Lumberton that he sold to Chinese investors.
Tributes Flowed on Social Media for Ted Parker
A man posted on a Lumberton Facebook page:
I had a personal experience with Ted on some land I was trying to sell in Shallotte NC. He flew down from L’ton in his Beech KingAir and I picked him & some other guy up at the Ocean Isle Beach Airport. We went over to the site and I had Miss Dorothy’s pristine Oldsmobile, which got extremely muddy as we drove over that site; Boy, my Mother was fit to be tied. Ted passed on the tract of land which I ended up selling to Tractor Supply in a roundabout way. Parker reminded me a lot of Tom Avent in his wheelin’ & dealin’ days; just not as technical as Tom.
Another man wrote on Facebook,
Please pray for the family of Ted Parker. The fact is that my family’s life would have been much different without him. He was a pioneer and a legend in the mobile home industry across the Southeastern US, and he was a family man. The Ted I knew had very little formal education, but he was one of the most intelligent and hardest working men I have ever met. He wouldn’t accept help…ever! Even in recent years when he could hardly get around due to his health, he wouldn’t ask for assistance. He was an independent man. He deserves our respect, and his family needs our prayers.
Another man wrote, “Rest easy Ted Parker. The man was as humble as a lamb. He always showed me love when I saw him. Rest on sir you are a legend.”
According to his obituary, Parker is “survived by his wife, Victoria Stone Parker of the home; his children, Christopher Lee Parker of N. Myrtle Beach, SC and Chandra Lynn Parker of the home.”
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