Parker John Stewart
Celebration of Life
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Open House: 1:30 - 4:00 PM
Speakers, Photos, Open Mic: 2:00 PM
The Clayton Venues
5640 188 Street, Surrey, BC V3S 7Y1
See on Google Maps
Obituary for Parker John Stewart
January 11, 1992 – September 26, 2025
Parker was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia on January 11, 1992. He passed away on September 26, 2025, at the age of 33 years old, leaving behind his older sister Allison, his mom Wanda and his dad Terry, the family dog little Betty White, old Kitten and his favourite, our cat, Lish, as well as many aunts and uncles, cousins and friends.
In the fall of 1992, the family moved to Georgetown Ont. (a suburb of Toronto). In less than 3 years the family was on the move again, to Cloverdale where he spent the rest of his life.
He grew up loving to play hockey (the boy could skate and he has trophy’s to show. At hockey tournaments he played in, he normally won the fastest skater competition year after year). Parker excelled at lacrosse. He loved the competitiveness and roughness. One year I got sick of buying graphite shafts and paying $70 for a new shaft every couple weeks because he would bend them on opposing players. I took him to the Hockey Shop and told the clerk I had enough of paying that much, regularly. The fellow showed Parker a wooden shaft that was only about $30. Said he would never bend or break that stick. It was heavier and Parker was not sold on it until the clerk said it hurts more than graphite. He loved that shaft. If you look on the table over there you will see a wooden shaft could be broken. Parker spent the summers growing up swimming in the family swimming pool with his school buddies. He loved going on annual hunting trips, winter camping in a outfitters tent and snowmobiling with his uncles in the foothills of the Rockies. Every year my brothers and I still do those trips in the middle of winter. To my brothers he was know as ParKay. To me I always seem to call him Peter by mistake but mostly I lovingly called him Johnny. His Gido's name was John.
Every summer Wanda, Allison, Parker and I would go on our annual 2 week summer holiday to Alberta. The 15-hour drive to Peace River and St Paul to visit with Gramma and Grandpa, Baba and Gido. Seeing aunties, uncles and cousins. To pass time on the drive we would listen to books on tape and homemade cassette music tapes. He grew to love the music of the 70s and 80s.
One year when Parker was still young, he got into trouble with his grandma (my mom for playing and snapping a tea towel at his sister. Later in the evening watching the news Yasser Arafat was on the news with his head scarf on his head. Parker made the comment to his granddad that he better not let Grandma see him or he will be in trouble for fooling around with a tea towel.
While in high school spent a lot of time with his buddies Dill, Kelvin and others in Dills parents’ garage with. He loved playing crib (getting schooled by his uncle Dale from Edmonton when he was visiting yearly), going camping with his buddies and fishing on the weekend.
He loved attending the Cloverdale Rodeo every year since 1996. When his family became sponsors of the annual event. Hanging out in the Stetson suite for many a rodeo performance. A number of years a go when the suite was where the bucking shuts are now. At the entrance to the suite Parker was asking why his VIP ticket didn’t have a punch hole on it. He told her he snuck into the grounds just to see if he could still do it.
In 2010 Parker graduated from Lord Tweedsmuir High School. He continued his career as a Temp worker thru his parents’ Staffing Agency, Express Employment Professionals. Parker worked many short term and then long-term positions which made him so good at placing people in jobs when he started working in his parent’s office.
He finally found a job he loved in 2012 at Amico and stayed 4 years. After getting laid off at Amico Parker took some time off to contemplate his future.
Over the years Parker had a special relationship with Kari and Billy Bennett and Grandma. Parker loved to go over to the Bennett’s when Grandma Penny was over from the island to play crib with her and visit. The relationship he had with them was extraordinary.
Terry and Wanda were excited that he wanted to work at Express in the office. Right off the get go he was taking courses through Express University while working in the business, and that did not stop over all the years, he wanted to know about every aspect of the business and was so good at implementing new systems. He worked sales to start, (hated it), then to work his way thru every position in the office.
He called himself a Senior Recruiter. He was so much more than that. When he became an owner with his parents in the franchise, his father got him business cards that say Co-Owner/Managing Partner. He never gave one out.
Parker excelled at placing good people at good companies. Since 2018 he was in charge of recruiting and scheduling over 100 associates to work at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair the May long weekend. He had the ability to connect with people on a daily basis and his desire to help everyone. He touched many lives, gave them hope, gave them advice. He had patience with everyone! Over the 8 years Parker developed many friendships with wonderful Express associates.
Evenings and weekends were spent watching Jeopardy, watching documentaries about world history, listening to Joe Rogan and watching the Toronto Maple Leaf’s with his mom. He was a novice gardener in the family vegetable garden and excellent cook known for introducing his mom and dad to new spices and heat. Parker loved a Guinness after work, a glass of wine at supper and helping his mom prep supper in between hockey period breaks.
Parker will be remembered for being family-orientated, his friendships, having a strong work ethic, his kindness, thoughtfulness, the willingness to give everyone a chance and his thirst for knowledge.
On Friday Oct. 17, our old black cat Kitten needed to be euthanized. She knew Parker would be waiting for her so they could cuddle.
Our home and office will never be the same without him.
Parker, we love and miss you: Mom, Dad, Allison, little Betty White and Lish.
Memorial Donations
For those wishing to honor Parker, in lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made in Parker’s memory to the Parker John Stewart Memorial Library & Computer Centre (link below. Click Donate). In the "write a note (optional) section put: Parker John Stewart Memorial Library & Computer Centre. If you have any questions or concerns you can reach out to Parker’s father at terry.stewart@expresspros.com.
In Loving Memory
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