WILMINGTON — Leston Curtis Parks, Jr., known to friends and family as “Les,” age 83, of Wilmington, NC, passed away November 11, 2024 at the Davis Community after a struggle with Parkinson’s disease.
Les was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on July 25, 1941, to Leston C. Parks Sr. and Alice Smith Parks. His namesake was a journalist that his grandmother followed from the Chicago Tribune named Bert “Leston” Taylor. Along with his younger brother Ron, their family made their home in the city of Salisbury, North Carolina.
Les graduated from Boyden High School where he was a member of the Key Club, the Band (for one week!), and the Tennis team, where he was named the “Most Valuable Player.” He was very lucky to have Mrs. Gafford, a neighbor, to teach and prepare him and other neighborhood kids for engineering classes at NC State. He was a Lifeguard at McCanless Lake during the summer, and spent other summers as a “spreader” at Leisure Lads, a garment manufacturer in Salisbury, for ten hours a day, no air conditioning, and only one dollar an hour!
After graduating from Boyden High School in 1959, he studied Industrial Engineering at NC State College in Raleigh, NC. While at NC State, he met Mary Ann Hoffman, from Wilmington, DE. She attended Peace Junior College in Raleigh, now known as William Peace University. Les joined Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, where he made many lifelong brothers and friends. Upon graduating from college in 1963, Mary Ann and Les married and moved to Camden, South Carolina, where he began his career with DuPont, later moving to Wilmington, Delaware, company headquarters.
After a 31-year career with DuPont, Les worked for Coastal Refinery and Sunoco in southern New Jersey, and retired in 2006. After Mary Ann retired from teaching at the same time, they started traveling in their 1993 25-foot Airstream trailer, also known as “The Silver Bullet!” They joined the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, where Les served as President of the Delmarva Unit. They enjoyed many memorable trips to rallies in the western US, including Mount Rushmore, Custer State Wildlife Park, the Corn Palace, and the famous Wall Drug store, where they give you “free” ice water, at no charge!
Les was an active member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Wilmington, DE for over 50 years, and served on the usher team and mission team. Les enjoyed participating in the Delmarva Walk to Emmaus and served as lay leader for the first youth Chrysalis weekend. In the summer of 2006, Les and Mary Ann traveled with the youth group on a mission trip to New Orleans, LA, to assist with the recovery efforts after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More recently, Les and Mary Ann joined Hampstead United Methodist Church.
In 2022 Les and Mary Ann sold their home of 52 years in Wilmington, DE, left many of their dear friends and moved down to their “special place” called Porter’s Neck Village in Wilmington, NC.
Les is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Ann, and their children Tripp (wife Ginny and daughters Elizabeth and Ella living in Charleston, SC), and Christopher (wife Gina and son Tucker and daughter Peyton living in Hampstead, NC).
A Celebration of Life service will be held at Hampstead United Methodist Church on Wednesday, November 27, at 1:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hampstead United Methodist Church 15395 US-17, Hampstead, NC 28443 or St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 1314 Foulk Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803 in memory of Leston C. Parks Jr.
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