Remembering Warren

2009-04-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

Photos, Program and Proclamation

2009-04-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Photos of the ceremony:
Tom reading Warren's biography:
A Fly-By concluded the service:
Dedication Program:
Proclamation from the city council:

Monument at Prescott's Love Field

2008-12-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

Below are some pictures of the stunning new memorial monument now at Love Field in Prescott, Arizona.
The sides of the monument list the names of all five men who died
and the top of the monument has the following poem, which is a favorite among pilots:

High Flight
by John Magee

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Thank you to all those who helped make this monument a reality, particularly Warren's father and brother in law! (Above, Warren Harris--Warren's brother-in-law--does a little last minute QC after installation.)

Newspaper article about Love Field monument

2008-12-07T09:58:00.001-08:00

(From the Daily Courier, December 05, 2008)

NEW SCULPTURE MEMORIALIZES FIVE WHO DIED IN 2006 PLANE CRASH by Cindy Barks

As he was about to leave the new memorial commemorating the 2006 plane crash that killed his son, Thomas Parkes noticed a smudge on the glossy aluminum surface."There's a fingerprint," he said on a recent visit, tenderly wiping it away. "I'll have to come back every week to keep it shiny."

The poignant mixture of sadness and satisfaction in having a permanent marker at the site where his son Warren spent so much of his time is obvious as Thomas Parkes talks about the memorial that sits at Prescott's Ernest A. Love Field Airport.
The memorial idea arose soon after the Oct. 18, 2006 plane crash northwest of Prescott, which killed Warren Parkes, pilot William "Billy" Friedman and passengers Andy Boquet, Donald Morris, and Joshua Vaughan.

During an emotional meeting of the surviving family members on the Friday after the crash, Parkes recalls commenting that "it would be nice if we could do a memorial."

He added: "I didn't think anything would come of it."

Soon afterwards, though, Parkes' son-in-law, Warren Harris, who works for a Mesa company that specializes in high-tech metal work, began drafting some ideas for a memorial.

Eventually, a concept emerged: a pentagonal sculpture of polished concrete and shiny aluminum that appears to be pointing toward the sky.

On each side of the structure is a name of one of the five victims.

"This gives us a daily reminder of our friends," said Parkes, noting that along with his son, three of the others were "close personal friends" of his, while he had met the fifth a few weeks before.

The community will have a chance to help dedicate the memorial next weekend during a ceremony at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13. The event will include brief biographies on the victims, presentation of the colors, and a fly-over by local pilots.

Referring to his son as "the classic over-achiever," Parkes recalls how Warren wholeheartedly dedicated himself to his broad range of interests. Among them was the Skyfest air show that took place annually at the Prescott Airport through the years after 2000.

Both Warren Parkes and Billy Friedman were prominent in Skyfest - Parkes as its executive director and Friedman as its operations director.

"It was something he believed in, and he promoted it, and he did a great job," Thomas Parkes said of his son.

The other crash victims also were aviation and/or photography buffs, Parkes added.

Dottie Morris, whose husband Donald Morris was among the crash victims, also voiced satisfaction at the completion of the memorial.

The location of the memorial - along the entrance road into the Prescott Airport - is especially pleasing for Morris, who notes that her husband, a retired Southwest Airlines pilot, always had an affinity for Ernest A. Love Field.

"It's an honor that my husband will have his name there; he loved flying out of Prescott," Morris said.

The Morrises moved to Prescott in 1997 from Texas, where Don had spent much of his professional career flying out of the Love Field Airport in Dallas.

"He was fond of both Love Fields," Morris said.

And of the memorial, which she helped to develop, Morris said, "I want it to be a place where people can sit and watch the airplanes and remember these people who loved to fly."

Indeed, along with memorializing the five crash victims, the sculpture also is a reminder of their love of aviation. It includes an inscription of John Gillespie Magee's well-known ode to aviation, "High Flight."

"That's how Don felt about flying," Dottie Morris said. "It wasn't just a profession to him."

While Parkes noted that the memorial effort generated cooperation from a number of volunteer sources, he said organizers still are accepting donations to cover the cost, and have set up a bank account at Wells Fargo, entitled "October 18 Memorial."

Kelly's Tribute to Warren

2008-10-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

Here's another tribute to Warren...and this one takes the cake! I love it. It's a tribute by Kelly, or more correctly, it's a tribute on Kelly. It's a tattoo...on her shoulder!

Kelly is our good friend from Prescott and Warren's friend from way back at University of Arizona. The tattoo memorializes both Warren (the airplane) and Kelly's father (the hammer--he did construction). Both died within a month of each other in 2006.

It's been rough for Kelly, but she's a survivor. This tattoo memorializes her special guys... and is a reward for losing 70 pounds. Great job Kelly.

To read Kelly's blog entry about the tattoo (including the dream that she had before getting it), log onto her blog at http://changeinstride.blogspot.com/

Short Biography of Warren

2008-09-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

This biography was written by Warren's father, Tom Parkes, and read at the dedication of the airport memorial monument.
----

WARREN THOMAS PARKES
21 October 1967 – 18 October 2006

TEN words summarize the life of Warren Parkes: They are (alphabetically)

ADVENTURE * ASTRONOMY * AVIATION * HISTORY * LOVE OF LIFE * PEOPLE * PHOTOGRAPHY * SINGING * TEACHING * WRITING

What more would you expect of an infant born on an Air Force Base, growing up at the beginning of the Space Age, with an airport in his back yard, and a family plane in which to escape the bonds of earth and to experience zero G somersaults from the front seat to the back, and return? Add to those influences the guidance of three older sisters, the omni-presence of a family dog or two with which to cavort and hug, and a mother who brought hot cups of soup to a star-gazing son on cold winter nights.

Next consider the stimulation of inspirational teachers who opened the Universe to exploration, from the sweeping far reaches of the Cosmos to the formation of rocks in the Earth’s crust; to the people who eked out primitive lives in Anasazi or Sanagua dwellings, yet found time to carve works of art on walls of caves and paint stars on their ceilings—to wet the insatiable curiosity of Warren’s seeking mind.

Mix into this equation a father’s interest in photography and the vision and mobility of flight, escorting teenage Warren across the continent to photograph a solar eclipse, and introducing him to the Smithsonian, the Air & Space Museum, the Naval Observatory. Add flight lessons, meteorology and navigation. Warren’s cup was running over.

A self-described “over-achiever,” Warren graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona, majoring in the History of Science and sharpening his analytic mind with a minor in Philosophy—strange but perfect preparation for the founding of PhotoGraphix and Wild Blue Studios.

Warren fell in love with life, and gave it back in spades. With Betsy, the soul-mate and love of his life, he kayaked with Orcas in Canada and leaped from a tower in Macao. They loved to hike the trails of Zion and probe the backcountry of Arizona.

During his final two years, Warren’s love of people, aviation, history and photography focused his considerable organizational and creative talents on the Prescott air show, winning First Prize in International Poster and Program competitions. As Executive Director, he inspired volunteers, made hard work fun, and coined a new name: “Arizona SkyFest”—which drew over 25,000 people – as an unintended but lasting community tribute to his memory.

Memorial crosses at the crash site

2008-07-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Crosses placed at the crash site by friends of all five men.

Someone placed this baseball hat out at the site. I love it. Warren and his baseball hats! :)

Below: The beautiful view from the crash site, including the red rocks of Sedona.

Fall/Winter 2005 Trips

2008-06-19T00:06:00.001-07:00

More Zion
You can never tire of a place as magical as Zion National Park, so to celebrate my birthday we headed to Zion yet again. Best part was the slot canyoneering.

Watson Lake
Okay, this really wasn't a trip because Watson Lake is in Prescott (where we were living at the time), but we went there so many evenings that I had to include a few photographs. So pretty.

Thanksgiving Trip
In November, we spent Thanksgiving in Tucson (where Warren had a photoshoot), then headed over to California to spend a few days with my brother's family and parents (who were there visiting.) While in California, we spent one afternoon kayaking in the Newport Back Bay and had fantastically close encounters with all manner of birdlife.

Christmas Break
For the Christmas/New Years holiday, we headed up to Utah to my parents, stopping in en route at Bryce National Park.

After a few days at my parents, we headed through the snowy Uinta mountains over to Dinosaur National Monument to see real, actual dinosaur bones still intact in the dirt (very cool!).

After a few hikes at Dinosaur NM, we spent two days at Canyonlands National Park, hiking in the Island of the Sky area one day (above) and the Needles area the next (below).

We actually went off trail on the return portion of the Needles hike. If it weren't for Warren's supurb backcountry skills, we would surely have had to spend a night in the wilderness--sans tent, jackets, food, etc... It was actually a pretty scary experience, and I'll admit this: I wasn't terribly brave!

Our last stop before ending the two week vacation was to check out the 2,000 year old petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument.

Summer 2005 Trips

2008-06-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

Zion National Park
In early May we made another trip to Zion, catching a beautiful display of 'orange globemallows' en route:

While there, we hiked a bit in Zion, then explored nearby Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park:

In mid-May we took a weekend trip to California so Warren could photograph an airplane, and in late-May we spent a long weekend exploring eastern Arizona (on a photo shoot for a congressman, who wanted some beautiful landscape photographs of Arizona for his office in DC).

White Mountains
In early June we spent a weekend backpacking in the White Mountains, along Arizona's eastern border. It was my first pack-in trip, and other than having a fairly sleepless night, I was hooked. When it was all done, we climbed a nearby fire tower to survey our hiking area:

Zion National Park, again
In mid-June, we spend another weekend in Zion, this time hiking the East Rim Trail...fun but exhausting (a bit too hot!)

Backpacking in Pecos National Forest, NM
Having not gotten our fill of backpacking, we headed out again in early July for a three day hike in the Pecos National Forest, just north of Santa Fe. It was a beautiful spot, and a great hike (other than when we misread the map and ended up hiking over 17 miles in one day, fully loaded, at a 10,000+ altitude. Yikes!) En route to/from Pecos, we stopped in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Waputki National Monument & Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
In August, we fled the Phoenix heat in favor of a weekend in the cool climate of Flagstaff (northern Arizona). There, we explored nearby Native American Ruins and climbed a volcanic cinder cone (two steps up, one step down).

(ADD WUPATKI)

Then we headed over to the Grand Canyon and headed part way down one of the trails we'd yet to hike together.

Hiking in the Wasatch Mountains
In August, while on a weekend visit to my parents house in the Salt Lake area, we spent an afternoon hiking in the nearby Wasatch mountains. After hiking up to a glacial lake and braving a sudden and fierce storm, Warren surprised me with wedding bands made out of meteorite. What a guy! :) [We'd been married for 2 years at that point, but were fairly unconventional about the whole thing so we hadn't gotten wedding bands yet.]

On the way down, we actually got chased by a moose. Seriously!

Warren's Surprise Trip to NYC!

2008-06-18T23:57:00.001-07:00

For our second anniversary, Warren surprised me with a 5 day trip to New York City! What a romantic. :)

We stayed at the stylish Moderne Hotel, saw the hilarious Broadway Show "Spamalot", and ate dinner at the top of the Rainbow Room. Warren made all the arrangements ahead of time and managed to keep it a secret until the week before.

While there, we (characteristically) walked a lot, exploring the streets and sites of the city...

...and indulged in some of the more 'touristy' activities like touring the UN (very interesting) and visiting the Museum of Modern Art:

We had a blast spending time with Betsy's aunt Ardith (who lives in New York City). Together we explored the Park Slope area and had long conversations over delicious New York food.

On our last day in the city, we strolled around Central Park, and then renewed our commitment to each other for another year amongst the beautiful flowers and shady trees.

It was a perfect trip!

The Big Island of Hawaii!

2008-06-18T23:55:00.000-07:00

In February 2005, we went to the Big Island of Hawaii. We spent the first three days exploring at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park...

...where we were lucky enough to catch an active lava flow--all the way into the ocean! Of course, getting to the site required traversing an ankle-wrecking field of hardened lava.

Then we headed over to the other side of the island to meet up with friends Josh and Amy, where we spent four more beautiful days. We kayaked out to a snorkeling spot one day...

...and snorkeled with giant sea turtles and other colorful sea life on another day.

We also visited the observatory at Mauna Kea (Warren, Josh and Amy even went twice!)...

...and visited other parts of the island like South Point, Lapahoehoe Point, and the Waipi'o Valley:

Beautiful trip!

More Summer 2004 Trips

2008-06-18T23:53:00.001-07:00

Utah's High Uinta Mountains
Photos from an early August hike in the High Uintas with my parents:
Warren's Northern California/Oregon Trip
In mid August, Warren went on another photo shoot in Northern California and Oregon (His main client's catalog was due to come out and lots of new photos needed to be taken that summer!) Below are photos of how he entertained himself during the day (between the dawn and dusk 'prime photography' hours.)

While at Lassen National Park, Warren took this stunning photograph of the stars, including a very visible Milky Way:

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon
At the end of August, Warren and I accompanied Warren's dad to southern Utah, where he was attending his 50 year high school reunion. While he attended the activities of the reunion, Warren and I hiked around the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and caught this beautiful sunset:

Fall 2004 Activities

2008-06-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

Texas is BIG
In early September we DROVE to San Marcos, Texas, and learned firsthand just how enormous Texas truly is! Warren had an air-to-air photo shoot with a P49 and a P48-- vintage airplanes that he planned to use for the 2004 Prescott Air Show Poster. It was a bit of a rushed trip, but enjoyable nonetheless, especially since it was my first time in Texas.

October Trip to California
The next month, we took a long weekend trip to California to visit my brother's family, catch my niece (Sarah) and nephew (Nate) play soccer, and take my nephew to the big Miramar Air Show. Nate ended up liking it, but also found it to be a bit too loud. I agree.)

On the way back we spent a day in Anza Borrega State Park, hiking a small slot canyon and enjoying the desert landscape.

Prescott's first snow of the season
Although this wasn't a 'trip' per se, below are some pictures of a hike we went on after the first snows of the season in Prescott (where we were living at the time):

Thanksgiving in Utah
And, we spent Thanksgiving at my parents...which was always a good opportunity for outdoor activities in beautiful Utah.

Alaska!!!

2008-06-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

In July of 2004, Warren had some photo shoots in Alaska, so we made a vacation out of it. Wow...Alaska is so beautiful. We did a lot of driving and a lot of hiking in the week that we were there, and were continually speechless by the beauty of the landscape.

Landing on the roof of the continent
The highlight of the trip was definitely our scenic flight over Denali National Park to catch a close up of Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America. It was a bit expensive, but we decided to go ahead and splurge since it was our last day in Alaska. Below are some images from the flight.

To top it off...our airplane was ski-equipped so we had the once in a lifetime experience of landing on a glacier! It was amazing to stand among the great peaks; the immense scale was astounding!

And just for fun...
Whenever I accompanied Warren on his photo shoots, I usually helped find good angles and carry equipment. But to poke fun of myself for the times I didn't help, I made these little Day-In-The-Life images and gave them to Warren as a joke (telling him that I had done our bios that we could load onto the company website):

The Southeast in 2004

2008-06-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

details to come...

Louisiana

New Orleans

Beautiful Savannah, Georgia

Georgia's Okefenokee swamp

Florida's Apalachicola National Forest

Snorkeling with the Manatees in Florida

Additional Florida collages to be loaded soon---St Augustine, Ponce Inlet, and Clearwater area.

Photos of Warren while walking along Daytona Beach, Florida

Spring Trips in 2004

2008-06-18T23:35:00.001-07:00

(I'm losing steam on this project, so these entries will be short. Eventually I might get the umpf back and beef them up...)

Washington
January trip to Seattle, where Warren had a photo shoot. After business was all taken care of...
we spent time with Warren's friend Martha, traveled with her to a coastal town in Southern Washington to see her boyfriend play give a cello concert (at a B&B right on the coast...beautiful).

Then, we headed up the coast for a visit Olympic National Park's Hoh Rain Forest...

...as well as Olympic's coastal beaches, which we had virtually to ourselves.

Kaaren's Surprise Birthday
In February, we drove Warren's parents up to Utah under the guise of visiting Warren's sister, then surprised Warren's mother (Kaaren) with a family reunion for her 70th birthday. The entire family was there and wow...she was certainly surprised!

During the spring of 2004 we also visited...

The Little Painted Desert (AZ)
The Colorado Rockies
Mesa Verde National Monument--photo to come

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (CO)

El Moro National Park (NM)

Fall / Winter trips in 2003

2008-06-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

More Flagstaff
In September, we spent another weekend in Flagstaff, hiking from Locket Meadow to "the Inner Basin"--the inside of the ancient San Francisco volcano (which came to a fiery end millions of years ago.)

Four Corners Get-away
And we spent a long weekend in October exploring the Four Corners area, spending a day hiking Monument Valley...

...a day hiking in Natural Bridges National Monument and nearby Butler Wash...

...and a day hiking the rim of Canyon de Chelly, home of centuries old cliff dwellings.

En route between Natural Bridges and Canyon de Chelly, we checked out Valley of the Gods State Park, a 'little Monument Valley.' Anywhere else in the world this would be a major attraction, but such are the riches of the Four Corners area that here it is merely a BLM-administered area.

Petrified Forest National Park
This National Park is only a few hours from our house and I had never been there, so one weekend in October we drove up for a visit. This park is home to a collection of broken, fossilized logs dating from the Triassic Period (225 m.y.a.) It's an interesting place to visit, but not necessarily a place to visit twice (unless you are a nice guy like Warren, and your wife hasn't been there yet).

Weekend in Tucson
...hiking in Saguaro National Park, popping down to Mexico for a day of shopping, and visiting all our usual haunts in Tucson (we went to Tucson a lot).

Thanksgiving in Southern Arizona
Since we had so much fun on the previous trip to Tucson, we headed there for our five day Thanksgiving break. We hiked in Chiricahua National Monument, visited the old mining town of Bisbee and the gimicky old West town of Tombstone, and several other spots along the way.

Summer trips in 2003

2008-06-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 2003, we spent many weekends in Flagstaff (escaping the heat) and one fantastic weekend at our house in Anthem, hosting a casual celebration of our recent nuptials.

Long Weekend in Wisconsin, Michigan, and then some
Warren's father was flying his new (self-built!) airplane to Wisconsin to attend the Osh Kosh Air Show, so Warren and I hitched a ride and spent five days exploring Wisconsin and Michigan (...and actually a bit of Minnesota too, since while in northern Wisconsin, we absolutely could NOT find a hotel with vacancies, and ended up driving hours into the neighboring state of Minnesota before finally finding 'room at the inn' at 2am!)

These first few pictures are (1) Warren and his dad at the controls of the airplane, and (2) a very air-sick me, post vomiting, cherishing a few moments on solid ground while Tom refueled. I usually didn't get air sick, but flying over the Rockies on a hot day in a little airplane was just too much for me.

We both absolutely loved the lush landscape, especially on our hike out to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (MI)...

...and our kayaking trip to the Apostle Island sea caves (Apostle Island National Lakeshore, WI).

Another trip to Utah
In August we hitched a ride yet again with Warren's father, who was flying up to the Salt Lake area to attend a conference. We had a great time with my family while there, and took the following aerial photos en route. Photos on the left are of Zion National Park' photo at right is of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.

Eloping to Zion

2008-06-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

In April 2003, Warren and I eloped to Zion National Park in order to exchange vows at the spot where he proposed. We made a week of it, exploring many parts of Zion, as well as the surrounding areas.

We went on hikes in Zion's western section...

...and spent a memorable day at nearby Snow Canyon State Park.

We also hiked out to see some dinosaur tracks, followed very vague directions to visit a picturesque little ghost town called Grafton, and even visited the nearby polygamous community of Colorado City. (Granted that's not what people normally do on their honeymoon, but we were in the area after visiting Grafton, and I was curious!)

Zion was always our special place. It's heaven on earth, a place that gave both Warren and I a sense of peace, a sense that we were 'home'. It was the perfect place for a perfect honeymoon.

If you haven't been there, you need to go.

On the way home, we drove through Grand Staircase National Monument and stumbled across a truly great slot canyon, which we spent hours exploring. Several months later, while flying over the area, we circled around and found the exact canyon from the air. So cool!

Kayaking with Orcas off Vancouver Island

2008-06-18T23:24:00.001-07:00

Hiking in Glacier National Park and Banff

2008-06-18T23:23:00.001-07:00

coming soon

Trips in Spring 2006

2008-06-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Mountain Biking at Lake Powell
In March 2006, we took a very memorable mountain-biking trip to the Lake Powell area. This was our first mountain biking trip together, and we immediately vowed to do many more. Unfortunately, our ancient bikes weren't so willing, and we had all manner of breakages during the ride...including a flat at the FARTHEST point on the trail. Ooog!

With bikes out of commission, we spent the rest of the weekend enjoying beautiful Lake Powell (top left), then hiking around Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park (right and bottom):

Southern Arizona Weekend with my parents
In mid-April my parents came for a visit. We were eager to show them a great time so we headed to Southern Arizona to take in the sites. We visited a cave, a state historic park, and did lots of eating out! We also toured Tumacacori National Historical Park to see the well preserved ruins of the Franciscan church built there in the early 1800s...

...and the nearby mission of San Xavier del Bac--"the White Dove of the Desert." This is the best preserved mission church in the United States, and stepping into this 200 year old church is like stepping back in time.

Best stop on the trip, however, was a visit to "the Biosphere." I've included the full text of the journal so that you can read about this totally unique, very interesting place that seems straight out of a Sci-Fi movie.

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
At the beginning of May we spent a long weekend outdoors exploring the enormous Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. I've included the full text from the journals here...because, truthfully, I am feeling a bit done with this little project for now so I'm taking the easy route. :)

Our Trip to China in 2006

2008-06-18T22:47:00.006-07:00

Okay, this whole remove-the-text-and-rearrange-the-pictures is taking too long. So, not for China. These are the pages straight from the photo journal.

Our Travels in 2005

2008-06-18T22:47:00.005-07:00

Our Travels in 2004

2008-06-18T22:47:00.003-07:00

Our Travels in 2003

2008-06-18T22:47:00.001-07:00

Astronomy Column: Earthshine

2008-06-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Published in Prescott Living Magazine, 2005

Retirement-aged pilot has 'Right Stuff'

2008-06-13T10:55:00.001-07:00

published in the Daily Courier (newspaper), June 2004

Astronomy Column: What's Up in Prescott

2008-06-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Published in Prescott Living Magazine in 2004

History Underfoot: The Timelines of Prescott

2008-06-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Published in Prescott Living Magazine in 2005

Short follow up article in a later issue:

Astronomy Column: Orion's Loves

2008-06-13T10:48:00.001-07:00

Published in Prescott Living Magazine in 2005

A conversation with Maxx and his master Dale O'Dell

2008-06-13T10:45:00.001-07:00

Published in Prescott Living Magazine, 2004. Written under the pen name Rulon Thomas (Warren's grandfather's and father's names, respectively).

Astronomy Column: The not here and not now

2008-06-13T10:43:00.001-07:00

Published in Prescott Living Magazine, 2005

The Magic of Flight

2008-06-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

coming soon...

Capturing the Spirit of Time: An Interview with Dave Newman

2008-06-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

Published in Prescott Living Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2005

Into the Light: Prescott's 50 year love affair with the lightbulb

2008-06-12T21:24:00.001-07:00

Published in Prescott Living Magazine in 2004. Written under the pen name Rulon Thomas (Warren's grandfather's and father's names, respectively).

Astronomy Column: The Origin of Dirt

2008-06-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

published in Prescott Living Magazine, 2005

Memories of Warren

2008-06-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

Below are memories and messages from the many people who have been touched by Warren's life. If you would like to include your memory, please email it to betsyparkes@hotmail.com.
--

About 15 years ago, I was working with Warren at a photo lab/camera store in Tucson. We were also both in college. My birthday was coming up, and I was feeling blue. My family has a traditional birthday cake, and because I was so far away from family....no cake. Warren called my mom, got the recipe, hired a bakery to make it, and surprised me on my birthday at work with the cake. I knew then that Warren was a WONDERFUL friend!!!
Kelly Hawley (Prescott Valley, AZ)

Warren, I will miss your sweet smile as you walk into North-Aire always with the kindest words and always always with that smile. I am grateful beyond words to have known you and I will choose to believe you are ever beside us all. My love to all your family and thank you for sharing Warren with all of us. God bless you.
Edna Thornburgh (AZ)

I will miss our "Prescott Living" days, staying up all night to meet our deadlines and talking about the stars and life!
Andrew Dargue (AZ)

Warren, What a wonderful, wonderful man you were/are. You made Betsy so very happy, happier than any time in her life. She is devastated without you, is missing half of herself because you two were so alike in more ways than most twins even. We loved you as a son, a son to be enjoyed and admired, to learn from and cherish. I am looking forward to seing you again.
Coreen Bousfield (UT)

After the memorial service for my sister, Cher, Warren was at the house and he spent some time with Russell, Cher's oldest son. He talked with him about his interests, I guess trying to get some idea of what her children were like. He asked Russell, who was 10, if he played chess and seemed quite disappointed that he did not. It must have made quite an impression upon him because soon after that Russell began to play. He now plays in state school championships and is a brilliant player. It seems a small thing, but again an example of Warren's influence and kindness.
Nola Spicer(UT)

Inspirational, inspiring, encouraging, genuine. I remember our last conversation on October 16, 2006. He gave me the greatest compliment: to become my dream, a photographer. A good friend.
Deborah Dippre (AZ)

This is a fantastic memory book! Every time I run and ride, I wear Warren's cycling jersey - it's full of curiosity and joy for life, and its memories make me very happy indeed. We have also put some of Warren's favorite rocks in our rock wall - we all loved collecting them! - and would you believe the hawk that flies overhead on our property is named after our life-full friend? You're always with us, smiling and reminding us that Life is Good.
Christina Robertson (Prescott, AZ)

We have so many happy memories of Warren. Our entire family loved him and found him so interesting. Of course his nieces remember him taking them on the geocaching trip, and the boys playing video car games with Uncle Warren, and Nathan going to the Air Show with Betsy and Warren. So many times, Coreen and I would be driving or doing something and have a question without an answer, and we would say we should ask Warren because he would know. Such a multi-talented man. We loved him so much and appreciate the good life and love that he gave to our daughter Betsy. They packed a lifetime of memories into four short years.
Bill Bousfield (UT)

I have known Warren since his high school days. I remember always his great dedication to study and learning. He had a contagious smile and a fun but calming presence. In his very short life he left a wonderful legacy and a huge photographic journey for all of us to enjoy. Tom and Kaaren, you can be very proud!
Sharron and Frank Benedict (AZ)

Everyone at Yavapai Broadcasting who worked with Warren are overwhelmed by the news of his death. Please, please accept our deepest sympathies.
Kathy Saunders (AZ)

Warren, I am grateful to have been touched by your presence in my life and of those around me. For lessons of compassion that reached beyond all boundaries. For the playful fun we had in creating beautiful art together. For your 'boy scout' nature and help whenever I needed it. Your spirit will remain with me forever.
Jane (AZ)

Warren was like our third teenage son. We loved having him spend time at our house. We especially enjoyed the time he and Anne-Marie got snowed in and spent three days at our house. Warren was always good to remember my odd birthday, December 26th. He sent me birthday cards while on his mission. My favorite quality of Warren's was his free spirit. We love him.
Carl and Linda Tenney (AZ)

From far, very far in a 'dot and heart shaped' small country in the Great Lake region of Africa, Warren showed me the word FREEDOM in a very big and special picture. My family kept asking "Who took that special photo?" Proudly, very proudly, my answer was: Warren! Ove Dieu Ait Votre Ame, Et la terre des Ancetres vous soit legere.
Deo (Phoenix, AZ)

Some fine folks will be missed from the fateful day... We will keep our best memories alive.
Morey and Connie Lewis (AZ)

Warren was so kind. I remember once saying something that I have since learned was very scientifically wrong, but what I incorrectly was sure went along with my religious beliefs. Instead of telling me what the truth actually was, he just said "Yeah, alot of people believe that." He cared so much about people that he wouldn't dream of making someone feel bad about themselves by correcting them, unless he was asked his opinion on the subject.
Coreen Bousfield (American Fork, UT)

Warren was a kind and gentle man. He encouraged me in my photography and I'll never forget that.
Kathy Saunders (AZ)

Warren, You were the best executive director the Skyfest ever had. You and Betsy were the best. Love you all. We will miss you.
Connie (aka Booster Mom) (AZ)

Warren, Thank you for filling my sister's life with such love and happiness.
Virginia Herbst (ID)

Warren, Thanks for taking me geo-caching in Utah. That was really exciting to find the treasure. My uncle, my friend.
Kimmie Herbst (UT)

Warren was one of the finest and kindest gentlemen that I've had the priviledge to know. His infectious smile and positive attitude influenced so many of us. He was a wonderful baritone singer in Master Chorale and always strived for perfection in our rehearsals and concerts. We are dedicating the remainder of our concert season and our Scandinavia tour to him. Soli deo gloria! Warren is now soaring with the angels.
Jim Klein, Director of the Yavapai College Master Chorale (AZ)

Warren, As I look back, I can't help but smile. While I never got to know you as well as I would have liked, I'll never forget your youthful vibrance and your commitment to the Air Show. You have been a true inspiration to me. Your generosity--although small in the form of two tickets for my parents to see the Air Show--spoke volumes about your character and who you are. Performing in Master Chorale with you on October 13th was truly an honor. With greatest thanks,
Samuel Larsen (AZ)

We were so enjoying getting to know you in Master Chorale. We wish you and your family love. Thank you for your smiles and warmth and contribution to this community and chorale. With blessings,
Ken and Diane Thornburgh (AZ)

Warren, I've had such a special place in my heart for you since we met around 1993. Eddie and I loved our connection through the Astronomy Club, Scandia, Master Chorale and Photographix. We admired you so much--your sweet personality, goodness and intelligence. You will be terribly missed but I look forward to seeing you in heaven someday.
June Poe (AZ)

Intense, warm, full of life eyes! Keep on shining!
(Anonymous)

We know you are with God smiling down on all of us, esp. your family.
(Anonymous)

My memories are many and are fond, you know! From high school "Aahhwwee" vowels to the "Send in the Clowns = Send in the Claws" to hiking and talking and loving life. And we love you guys!
Joe and Christina Robertson (AZ)

We remember the great times with Warren, Autry Jr, and Darrel in Little League and fishing golf balls on the golf course and of course Boy Scouts.
Autry and Natalie Dorsey (AZ)

Warren, I can hear your voice--talking, laughing, singing, and hope I do always. Also, our YC trip to sing in Carnegie Hall all those years ago...great experiences! Miss you.
Rich Longfield (AZ)

Warren was always special to me because we sometimes sat together in Master Chorale. What a gift of music. We remember him from our first trip to New York in 1990. Love, Prayers, Blessings.
Lois Longfield (AZ)

Warren's memories will last as surely as the world continues to survive. He was not only a tribute to his parents but to all his friends as well. Warren never lacked for energy and he shared with everyone he knew. His smile was ever present. Yes he will be missed but never forgotten. He is with the Lord.
Oce and Lorna Dotson (AZ)

I know Warren is hanging out with Bob and Mike and the others at the 'Heavenly Air Show.' Now they have the BEST aerial photographer there ever was! Think of us Warren. We'll be thinking of you.
Scott and Dawn Gifford (AZ)

A really great guy like you will be greatly missed. My thoughts and my feelings are with you and your family.
Biljana (AZ)

I remember Warren's smile and Warren's eyes--both bright and full for love for Betsy
Joanie (AZ)

Meeting you was a pleasure, working with you a priviledge, and forgetting the meeting impossible. Rest well my friend.
(Anonymous)

Saturday, December 29, 2007 8:39 PM
We will miss Warren. Our son said that Warren was the best Sunday School teacher he ever had.
Harold and Kitty Tenney (AZ)

Warren, You were such a joy to your family and those who had the opportunity to know you--a talented, wonderful, positive life force that will live on and on in everyone's memories.
S. Jaggard (AZ)

The Lord must have needed such a fine soul near him.
Marje Hanson (AZ)

Warren, You shot through the hearts of all of us like a meteor. Got us all looking up.
Richard K. (AZ)

I'll never forget when I first met Warren. He was 12 or 13 and working on his Boy Scout astronomy badge. He knew it all! He had taught himself and that was just the beginning. I have been blessed with many wonderful memories of hikes and flights and happy good times.
Nancy Wright (AZ)

Warren flew us to Yuma and gave me my first chance at handling a plane. It was a step towards overcoming a fear and I am grateful to him. I always felt safe when he was at the helm.
Heather Erwin (AZ)

I once said in front of Warren that I know I'm not very conservative and am even a little eccentric, and that I probably cause my husband some consternation with some of my actions and statements. Warren, not afraid to talk on the subject of feelings like most men are, said to me "He probably just adores you." I'll never forget that sweet statement because it held no embarassment on his part for using the word "adore."
Coreen Bousfield (American Fork, UT)

Warren, Thank you for all you did. You will not be forgotten.
Robin (AZ)

You were a great friend who we will miss more than words.
Dave and Donna Newman (AZ)

May God keep you with him always.
Sharon Reeves (AZ)

I cannot forget that evening when Warren and Betsy gave me the opportunity to spend a wonderful time with them at the restaurant of east Phoenix, and then we went together to the theater. Warren was a universal person who was able to engage friendship, regardless of religion, color or race. I miss him and enjoyed him and his interest about my personal experiences and my story with the Russian big miliary ship for Somalia.
Mohamed (AZ)

In his pictures I can see the beauty and awe that I share. The magnificence of the world and of aviation which I love. Through his art he captured what I felt but could not articulate. Last Skyfest he was my go-to man for information on when the F-4 was coming in. I skipped class and took all my students to watch it come in and land. Though Warren was very busy those days, he took time to share what he knew with me. It was great.
D. Murray (AZ)

Sitting across from Warren discussing "financial matters" was a real experience. Such a super intelligent wonderful guy who wanted to know everything except...anything to do with accounting! :) This is how Warren and Photographix became my first client when I started my own accounting and tax service. Warren was a gift to us all and a definite soul mate to Betsy. I cannot imagine myself in her position. I guess we all have to thank God for the time we had and as the Lord told me, he died doing what he loved.
Cindy Nelson (AZ)

Warren was always a man of integrity. I knew him predominately from my work as a photographer. I saw his spark for life, his zest for living and his brilliance. He was always willing to help me and I am glad I had the priviledge of knowing him.
Ginger McMahan (AZ)

Warren was a great teacher. He was extremely knowledgeable about astronomy and was quite passionate about it.
(Anonymous)

My memories of Warren date back over 30 years as we attended school together. He was always eager to talk, lend a hand and always had a contagious smile. After we moved back to Prescott in 1993, I reconnected with Warren through aviation and my father, Frank Benedict. I was amazed with his photography and talent. My friend's mother wrote a House Blessing, and we hired Warren to produce a large image on parchment paper. It was beautiful and better than I ever imagined. This is a very special piece to our family. I am honored that Warren was willing to take on this House Blessing project. Forever will he be a part of our home. He will be dearly blessed and missed. With deepest sympathy to the entire family.
Rhonda, Keith, Levi, Sierra and Alexa Rosdahl (AZ)

What an incredible heart and mind you possessed. I wish that there were more time for us to get to know one another. My life has changed and you are one of the agents of that change. I will always remember.
Bob Ray (CA)

Warren, Thanks for your encouragement even in your final message to your friends. I will go and accomplish smething that I have feared. Thanks for bringing the best to the Prescott Airport in the wonderful Airfest. Till we meet again.
Bruce Jaeger (AZ)

After the beautiful memorial service, I realized that having met Warren only a few months ago, I missed out knowing an amazing man. Even so, the small piece I knew gives me joy for the wonderful man he was. I'll never forget him.
Charley Gianaris (AZ)

Remember when Chloe was a baby and you and Betsy and I spent hours trying to photograph her flips? Thanks for photos of one of the loves of my life.
Jennifer Doran (AZ)

Obituary

2008-06-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

WARREN THOMAS PARKES

Warren Thomas Parkes, 38, died last week doing what he loved. On October 18, 2006, Warren and four close friends were killed in an airplane accident while on an air-to-air photography mission for the Arizona Skyfest. Now, family and friends are gathering to celebrate the beautiful life he led.

Warren was born October 21, 1967, at Williams Air Force Base in Chandler, AZ, and lived most of his life in Arizona. Raised in Prescott, he attended Prescott Public Schools, where he developed an early interest in astronomy and things scientific. Active in Boy Scounting, he attended Philmont Boy Scout Ranch twice, once as a youth and again as an adult. Warren graduated from Prescott High School in 1985. After completing a successful proselyting mission in Wisconsin and Arizona for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Warren returned to earn an Associates Degree from Yavapai College and subsequently graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona. He returned home to open PhotoGraphix, a photography and graphic design business. After eight successful years, Warren sold the company and started the design firm Wild Blue Studios. Following an early interest in aviation, he earned his Private Pilot Certificate, and went on to serve two years as the Executive Director of the Arizona Skyfest airshow in Prescott.

In his short time on this earth, Warren lived life to the fullest. He was a passionate seeker of truth, an intrepid adventurer, and an insatiably curious student of our unimaginably vast universe. Warren was a true renaissance man--a writer and photographer, graphic designer and businessman, a poet, a pilot, a choral singer, and adjunct professor of astronomy and history. Above all, Warren was a conservationist and humanitarian who always put people first.

Warren is survived by his wife Betsy, his parents Kaaren and Tom, his sisters Linnea, Rowane, and Corrine, his dog Clark, a large extended family, including 2 nieces and 4 nephews, and many close friends. A celebration of his life will be held at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, October 24, 2006. Friends and acquaintances are invited to join the celebration to be held in the NorthAire hangar at the Prescott airport. In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to contribute to The Warren Parkes Fund, established in his honor to support causes dear to his heart. Donations can be sent to The Warren Parkes Fund, Wells Fargo Bank.

Newspaper Article about Warren's Life

2008-06-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

On September 4, 2007, the Prescott Valley Tribune ran the following beautiful tribute article to Warren:
--
Kinetic sculpture race trophy to honor Warren Parkes' zest for life
By Sam Lifshutz, for PVtrib.com

Last year, Warren Parkes presided as a judge at the First Annual Prescott Valley Kinetic Sculpture Race. A mere month later, Parkes tragically lost his life in a plane crash which also claimed the lives of four others. The small prop plane crashed just north of the Prescott Airport during a mission to photograph a MiG-21.

At this year's Kinetic Sculpture Race, officials will present to the grand champion a trophy honoring Parkes. It's a fitting tribute, as Parkes' positive attitude and zeal for life perfectly mesh with the ideals of the race.

"I immediately was taken by his wit, humor and wonderful way of looking at things," said KSR Commissioner and Committee Chair Cynthia Jones. "I really didn't know him well, but as the organizer of the PV Kinetic Sculpture Race, I knew his type of personality was perfect to be a judge in this event that's all about having a good time."

Unsurprisingly, Parkes was eager to oblige. "Even though he was up to his eyeballs in getting the Skyfest event together, he took a morning out to be a part of the race and he added a lot to it," Jones said. This sort of community spirit and desire to volunteer was no mere fluke for Parkes. Rather, it was the story of his life.

"I think the whole community really misses Warren," said Dave Newman, owner of Newman Gallery in Downtown Prescott. "He was so well-liked it was incredible."

Parkes' memorial service last year was in an airplane hangar.

"I don't know how many people were there, but there were 500 seats, and there were people standing," said Tom Parkes, Warren's father. "He touched people's lives in so many ways that we never even realized. People just came out of the woodwork and told us how he enriched their lives."

Although Parkes was known around town for his towering intellect, it wasn't until seventh grade that he really took an interest in academics.

"He came home one day and told his mother 'I know what I want to be when I grow up, an Astrophysicist'." By 9th grade he built his own telescope during industrial arts class , a five-foot-long, ten-inch diameter reflective telescope. "The teacher couldn't even help him because he was beyond the teacher," Tom recalled. "We'd go on hikes together and he'd give me my astronomy lessons, as we lay in sleeping bags under the clear night skies. He used to show me the constellations with his flashlight."

Astronomy became a great passion of Parkes', one which he would pursue throughout his life.

It was through his father that Parkes became interested in another of his great passions: flying. Tom, a retired Air Force pilot, has been flying planes for decades. He often took Warren flying with him. "At six years of age I remember he could keep an airplane level. I had him sitting on an attache case and a cushion and his feet were on the seat." It was Tom, an instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, who administered all of Warren's flying lessons.

Parkes had always been involved in photography, and it was through photography that he earned a living for most of his adult life. He owned two photography studios, PhotoGraphix, which he opened in 1996, and later sold to open Wild Blue Studios. It was at the intersection of airplanes and photography that Parkes really found his niche.

"He just lived for flying and shooting (photos of) other planes, and his portfolio is just full of absolutely monster pieces of aviation photography," said Joe Robertson, a classmate who attended high school and college with Parkes.

Robertson also sang with Parkes in both the high school and college choir, just another one of his many talents. Parkes even had the chance to sing in Westminster Abbey. "Warren was way into choral singing and solo singing - he had a heck of a voice," Robertson said.

On top of running a full-time business, Parkes found time to write for a local magazine and teach two courses - Astronomy and The History of Western Civilization, at Yavapai College. "Warren's intellectual pursuits took him into so many areas, there was hardly anything you could bring up from an academic standpoint that he hadn't either thought about, researched, studied or contemplated one way or another," said Robertson. More than anything, Parkes enjoyed sharing his knowledge. "When his twin nephews were four years old, he was teaching them to say 'a most prodigious undertaking,'" Tom said, laughing.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Parkes had a spirit of adventure. He and wife Betsy enjoyed traveling and often took active holidays to kayak or hike the Grand Canyon. Robertson remembers an occasion when Parkes flew him to Salt Lake City on a whim, just to have lunch.

It wasn't until 2005 that Warren faced one of his biggest undertakings. He became Executive Director of the Arizona Skyfest, a massive project which utilized his arsenal of skills and talent. As expected, Parkes surpassed expectations, winning the International Conference of Air Shows Marketing Award for his eye-popping programs and marketing materials. No easy feat, considering the ICAS comprises literally hundreds of air shows from around the world.

Today, nearly one year after his tragic accident, it's not Parkes' accomplishments, but his personality and his heart which continue to burn strong in all who knew him.

"He was one of the smartest people I've ever met, and humble. Sometimes just talking it about it, even now, makes me cry. He just was such a great person. He was one of a kind, really," said Newman.

Perhaps no one will miss Warren Parkes as much as his wife, Betsy.

"Warren was a gift in my life and I miss everything about him," she said. "I think he will be remembered for all of his many close friendships. Because he genuinely did like everyone, he had this magical way of making people feel great about themselves in his presence. People loved to be near Warren.

At times it would be hard to get through the grocery store, as we would run into so many people who were clearly thrilled to see their good friend Warren Parkes.

"Warren was very present with people. He would never look beyond someone or be eager to end a conversation. He gave whoever he was with his undivided attention, and I think that made people feel special. He truly felt that every person was important, and I think people could sense that when they were around him. Everyone felt like they were one of Warren's close friends because that is how he treated them. He also had a contagious enthusiasm for whatever he was doing, so people naturally gathered around projects he was involved in just to be a part of that excitement," she said.

"I have to be actively engaged in other things to keep my mind off of him. We have his photography around the house, the car I'm driving is his car. Everything reminds me of him," said Warren's father, a soft, bittersweet smile crossing his face.

Officials will present the trophy honoring Parkes at the conclusion of the Kinetic Sculpture Race, which begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Prescott Valley Civic Center.

Articles and Public Tributes

2008-06-08T09:44:00.001-07:00

We have all been touched by the many tributes to Warren since his death. Below are links to articles about Warren as well as details on public tributes, memorial scholarships, gallery showings, and awards given out in his honor.

Newspaper article about Warren's life
This is my favorite article about Warren. What a wonderful summary of his life! Please click HERE to read the article.

Warren Parkes Memorial Fund
Set up by loved ones after Warren's death, the Warren Parkes Memorial Fund seeks to commemorate Warren's life by following his example. Click HERE to go to the fund's web blog.

Award given in Warren's honor
NorthCentral University and the City of Prescott Valley held the Second Annual Prescott Valley Kinetic Sculpture Race, and presented the winner with the Warren Parkes Grand Champion Trophy. Click HERE to see photographs of the trophy.

Plaque at Embry Riddle University
Please click HERE for details about how Embry Riddle University honored Warren in their new campus classroom building.

Monument erected at Prescott's airport
In December 2008, a monument to the five men who died in the crash was erected at Prescott's Love Field. Below are links to images of the monument and an article that ran in the newspaper as well.
Monument at Prescott's Love Field
Newspaper article about Love Field monument
Photos, Dedication Ceremony Program, and Proclamation

Kelly's Tribute to Warren
Click HERE to check out the most clever and personal tribute to date. I love this one! :)

Crosses at the crash site
Placed by friends of all five men. Click HERE for images.

Gallery showing of Warren's photography
In January 2007, a Prescott gallery held a showing of Warren's photography. Click HERE to see a few snapshots taken after opening night.

Newspaper article about memorial scholarship
Volante Academy, a Prescott area non-profit, has established a Warren Parkes Memorial Scholarship. Click HERE to read a newspaper article about it.

EAA Plaque at OshKosh
Click HERE to see photographs of Warren's name on the EAA Memorial Wall at Osh Kosh, as well as images of the 2007 Inductee Memorial Service.

Timeline

2008-06-08T09:41:00.001-07:00

COMING SOON....not finished yet :)

About Warren

2008-06-08T09:38:00.001-07:00

Short biography of Warren
Written by Warren's father and read at the dedication of the airport memorial monument.

Obituary
As published in the Prescott Courier a few days after the accident.

Newspaper Article about Warren's life
This is my favorite article about Warren's life. If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to read this article.

Warren's Favorites
Just for fun...a list of a few of Warren's favorite things.

Timeline of Warren's Life
Coming soon

Renaissance Man

2008-06-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

ROTC scholarship

2008-06-08T09:20:00.001-07:00

Betsy's mother remembers Warren

2008-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

After Warren's sisters shared their memories of Warren, Pat Kuykendall (a childhood friend) shared a few personal memories of Warren and then invited members of the audience to get up and share their memories. Many in attendance took the chance to remember Warren's giving nature, his curious mind, and his talent and energy. One memory shared by my mother was as follows:

Over the last few days I have been looking through Warren's large library of books, and in a book on famous scientists, I came across a quote about scientist Henry Eyring that I immediately felt describes Warren perfectly. It reads:

"The spell of [Warren] is magical. It is compounded of what? Enormous ability, curiosity, imagination, kindness, inexhaustible energy, the incredible combination of a poet's facility with the English language and a...gift for higher [learning]--above all, happiness. I believe he is the happiest man I have ever met, and this spreads, as it must spread from all great geniuses. I wonder how many [Warren Parkes's] there are in the world? If there are enough we would have nothing to fear, nothing at all.

A man of his accomplishments could afford complete egoism. But what was our toughest problem? To steer him with expedition through the [room], since he insisted on talking with everybody he met, asking him what he thought about this and that, fanning a little flame of genuine fellowship here, there, everywhere."

(from The Search for Harmony, edited by Gene A Sessions and Craig Oberg)

Missing Man Formation

2008-06-08T08:59:00.001-07:00

coming soon

Warren's Eulogy

2008-06-08T08:58:00.001-07:00

coming soon

Warren's Memorial Service

2008-06-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Click below to see selected portions of Warren's memorial service:

The Program
Beautifully designed by our good friend Andrew Dargue

The Eulogy--coming soon
Read by Bishop Bunker (from Warren's parent's Prescott ward)

Warren's Farewell Letter
Read at the service by our good friend Fulton Wright

My mother's remembrance
During the "Sharing Memories of Warren" portion of the service audience members could share their thoughts and feelings about Warren. One of my favorite remembrances was the quote read by my mother about the 'spell of Warren.'

The Missing Man Formation--coming soon
The fly-by took place immediately following the service as a tribute by several of Warren's friends.

Warren's Childhood

2008-06-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

STORIES
Please click HERE to read stories about Warren's childhood. These stories were written by Warren as a Christmas gift to
his family.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Please click HERE to view a selection of photographs from Warren's childhood, as shared at Warren's memorial service (set to the tune Imagine by John Lennon.)

Childhood Photos

2008-06-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

The following childhood photos were part of a slide presentation shown at Warren's memorial service:

Samples of Warren's Photography

2008-06-07T09:42:00.001-07:00

AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHY
To view a selection of Warren's stunning aviation photography, please click HERE.

(In the photo at right, Warren beautifully captured one of the first flights of his father's new self-built(!) Lancair airplane. Warren got his love of flying, and of photography, from his father.)

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
To view a selection of Warren's beautiful landscape photography, please click HERE.

(This image at right is one of my favorite photographs by Warren. I love it for its stark beauty and for the memory I have of when it was taken. Warren and I were driving in Northern Arizona, engaged in conversation, when all of a sudden Warren--ever the photographer--jammed on the brakes, pulled over in a matter of seconds, and jumped out of the car and ran down the road. I had no idea what was going on. I was speechless. But then I saw (out of the rearview mirror) the camera come out. Then I knew. Warren saw beauty, and needed to capture it to share with others.)

Sample of Warren's Aviation Photography

2008-06-07T08:55:00.001-07:00

Sorry...no captions at this point. I have zero airplane knowledge. (Left to me, the captions would be: "Airplane", "Another airplane", "blue airplane", etc... Not terribly illuminating.) Anyone wanna help create captions for these images?

AND...Magazine Article on Warren's Photograpy
Prescott Living Magazine did an article highlighting Warren's aviation photography. Click HERE to see the article.

Samples of Warren's Graphic Designs

2008-06-07T08:40:00.001-07:00

AWARD WINNING DESIGNER
Warren was such a talented designer!
In fact, Warren won the only design contest he ever entered--the annual international ICAS marketing award--three years in a row!
---Best Poster (2004)
---Best Poster (2005)
---Best Souvenir Program (2006)

The photos at right show the three trophies and the 2005 ceremony, just before the winner was announced.

SAMPLES OF WARREN'S DESIGNS
To see some of Warren's logo designs, click HERE
To see some of Warren's poster designs, click HERE
To see some of Warren's brochure designs, click HERE

What a multi-talented man!

Sample of Warren's Logo Designs

2008-06-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Warren created some beautiful logos in his years as a graphic designer. Here is a sampling of his work:

Posters

2008-06-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

Below are a few examples of Warren's poster designs, starting with his three posters for the Prescott Air Fair:

This poster was created for client Embry Riddle University in order to publicize the Sally Ride Scholarship--a scholarship aimed to encourage women in aviation and named after Sally Ride, the first woman in space.

These three posters were part of a series of 12 posters that Warren designed for a World Refugee Day celebration held at Phoenix City Hall in 2004. This was actually something I was working on for my job at the IRC (a refugee aid organization), and Warren was characteristically eager to help.

Plaque at Embry Riddle

2008-06-07T07:49:00.001-07:00

In 2003, Warren created 12 large hanging banners for client Embry Riddle University (ERAU). These banners commemorated the 100th anniversary of powered flight and were used at the university's annual alumni gathering, "Octoberwest."

Last year the university decided to permanently hang all 12 beautiful banners in the courtyard area of ERAU's new classroom building.

And, alongside the banners, the university placed a memorial plaque dedicating the display "to the memory of their creator, Mr. Warren Parkes...who loved flight and showing people how to stretch their wings."

Below are images of the twelve banners:

Thank you Embry Riddle.

Plaque at Osh Kosh

2008-06-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

In 2007, Warren's name was added to the EAA Memorial Wall--a wall "dedicated to those who have loved and supported aviation." The wall is located at Wisconsin's Osh Kosh airport, home of the big annual Osh Kosh Air Show.

Warren's father, Tom, not only ensured that Warren's name was added to the wall (as well as a funny phrase that Warren occasionally said--'it was a most prodigious undertaking'). He also attended the dedication service held during the 2007 Osh Kosh Air Show. Someday I'd like to visit the wall myself and do a rubbing (like at the Vietnam Memorial) to take home as a keepsake.

Below are images of the wall from a distance...

...and the 2007 ceremony for all inductees.

Tom and Terry Swiginnis, thank you for all your hard work in creating this beautiful memorial tribute to Warren.

Concert held in Warren's honor

2008-06-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

In the Fall of 2008, the Volante Academy will hold a benefit concert in Warren's honor in Prescott, Arizona. Monies raised will go toward scholarships in the arts. Stay tuned for more details.

Gallery Showing of Warren's Photography

2008-06-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

In January 2007, a Prescott gallery held a showing of Warren's photography. Below are some snapshots taken after opening night:

Memorial Service Program

2008-06-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Andrew Dargue designed the following beautiful program for Warren's memorial service:

The program also included Warren's 'This I Believe' Essay (on the interior left side):

And a poem about flying called High Flight on the back:

Brochures

2008-06-06T07:58:00.001-07:00

Warren created hundreds of designs over his ten years as a professional graphic designer. Below is a selection of his brochure and catalog designs:

CLIENT: Classic Recreation Systems

For many years, Warren traveled all around the country to create stunning photographs of park structures manufactured by Classic Recreation Systems (Prescott, AZ). He then created a beautiful 50+ page product catalog of structures for the client each year. This catalog was the chief marketing piece for the company. At right is the cover of the most recent catalog. Below are selected pages.

CLIENT: Dr. Lonn (Seattle, WA)
Dr Lonn was one of a number of dentists who contracted with Warren to create 14 page newspaper inserts advertising their cosmetic dentristry services. Warren did all photography, design and writing for the brochures. These inserts were wildly successful, and often generated repeat design jobs for Warren.

CLIENT: Embry Riddle University (Prescott, AZ)
Warren worked on dozens of different projects with client Embry Riddle University. Among them were the annual Recruitment Brochures (front and back of tri-fold brochure)......

...a brochure for the Aero Derby, aimed at getting children interested in aviation (interior of tri-fold brochure)...

...and marketing materials for the annual alumni celebration "OctoberWest". Below is a postcard 'save-the-date'/teaser that went out prior to official information, also designed by Warren. (Materials were created with beautiful metallic inks that lose their impact here on-screen.)

CLIENT: Gitan (Phoenix, AZ)
Warren was the chief designer for Gitan, a proprietary coating systems company based out of Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to all the photography and design, he wrote all the marketing copy and created illustrations explaining how the coatings worked in a manner clear enough for a layperson to understand--not an easy task!

CLIENT: Air Grand Canyon
Warren created a very successful brochure for scenic airline Grand Canyon Airlines, including taking photographs of actual flights over various scenic spots in Northern Arizona.

AND...
Warren was involved in countless other projects including:
-creating a 65 page tourism catalog for the Government of China
-overseeing the creation, execution and installation of "Baseball Immortals", a museum on the history of baseball at Dodger Statium in Los Angeles
-the design and production of a hardbound coffee table book on Arabian horses
-the production of numerous museum exhibits for Sharlot Hall Museum and Smoki Museum

Sample of Warren's writings

2008-06-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

Even more than photography and design, Warren loved to write. He wrote countless stories, poems, letters...just for the pleasure of writing. He had started to work on his first novel--a fictional story dealing with the intersection of science and religion--when he was killed.

Below are some of his published newspaper and magazine articles, including articles from his regular Astronomy column:

Into the Light: Prescott's 50 year love affair with the lightbulb

Capturing the Spirit of Time: An Interview with Dave Newman

A Conversation with Maxx and his master Dale O'Dell

Retirement-aged pilot has 'Right Stuff'

History Underfoot: The Timelines of Prescott and follow up article Timeless Again

Astronomy Column: The Origin of Dirt

Astronomy Column: The not here and not now

Astronomy Column: Earthshine

Astronomy Column: Orion's Loves

Astronomy Column: What's Up in Prescott

A Prescott area non-profit establishes the Warren Parkes Memorial Scholarship

2008-06-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

The following article ran in the Prescott Valley Tribune, October 17th, 2007, by reporter Sue Tone. A similar article was also published in the Prescott Courier.

One year ago tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the death of local pilot, Warren Parkes. An arts academy is establishing a memorial scholarship in Parkes' name to honor the man whom both adults and children respected and liked.

Parkes was the first President of the Board of Directors for Volante Academy of the arts in 2003, said Jan Luke executive director of the academy. He also designed Volante's logo that the academy continues to use today.

So she is offering a memorial scholarship fund that will help pay students' tuition and class fees and also purchase musical instruments and equipment, Luke said.

"All this past year, I was thinking I just wish I could do something in memory of Warren," said Luke.

So she is offering a memorial scholarship that will help pay students' tuition and class fees and also purchase musical instruments and equipment," Luke said.

"We try not to turn away kids whose parents can't afford the lessons. We need another piano or keyboard so we cant teach two lessons at the same time," Luke said, adding that the academy's microphones and sound system are old and not of good quality.

Parkes died in an airplane accident on Oct. 18, 2006, that also claimed the lives of four others.

"I am thrilled to hear about this program," said Warren's wife, Betsy Parkes. "He did love children and felt very strongly about introducing young people to creative expression."

Luke said Warren's father, Tom, agrees that the scholarship is a good idea because of his son's love for children.

"I really can't pinpoint a specific time when Warren developed his love for kids," Tom Parkes said. "Even as a teenager, when he was asked to babysit kids not much younger than himself, he planned fun activities to keep everyone involved."

Those interested in learning more or to contribute to the memorial scholarship may call Jan Luke at 772-1218.

Warren's Farewell Letter

2008-06-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

Below is the beautiful farewell letter from Warren that we are all so lucky to have. Warren's good friend Fulton Wright read the letter at the memorial service.

For those of you that weren't there, a bit of background on the letter: In 2005 Warren had a medical exam that showed a serious problem with his heart. The initial prognosis was quiet bad. At that time, Warren wrote the following letter to his family and friends, then just saved it on his laptop in case the dire prognosis turned out to be correct. Luckily, with further tests, we found out that Warren's heart was healthy. It was just an error on the initial report.

And that is how we have this beautiful farewell letter from Warren, saying one final goodbye.

---

My dearest Elizabeth, Betsy, woman of my dreams, etc., etc.,

I don’t have much to will, or much of a will, and the world is too parceled a place to have the luxury of getting buried under an oak without some copper-clad sarcophagus. So here is what I know now, what I would like, now, as I consider the possibility, however remote, that I won’t have the opportunity to be this verbose in the future.

I’m sitting here in bed, watching your back, as I ever will be. I think it’s human nature (however flawed) to believe in an afterlife, and thus the first stipulation of my will: I will that there be an afterlife, and I will that you be there in it, and I in yours.

This whole step, “the last will and testament” seems melodramatic. I’m alive, I plan to be alive. In fact, I think I’ll be more alive than I ever have been, having brushed with death. But my grandfather passed in his sleep, and ever since, I have wondered whether this sleep would be my last. When I think of the “what if” of it, all I can think is what I would have wanted to do with you, the two of us together in all the back yards of the world, finding meaning in the mundane.

Some stuff I would have wanted to do with you before I die:
-Watch the lights of NYC come on from the 64th floor of 30 Rockefeller Center
-Exchange vows in Central Park
-Show you off at my high school reunion
-Breathe in the fresh air of Assisi
-Exhale the foul air of Venice
-Hike across the backbone of New Zealand
-Rub each other’s necks after craning at a total solar eclipse
-Fly in some developing country to deliver something useful
-Sit together at a table where a deal is struck that does some good in the world
-Watch the midnight sun
-Watch the aurora australis
-Help others care, even if caring doesn’t matter
-Experience the moments where we’re being the change we want to see

They grow sort of amorphous from there, but get more specific as the horizon nears. Learning is what I care about most, and I learn by doing, so doing things with you is the best of all worlds.

If you’re reading this, and I’m gone, I hope you do all those things anyway, because whether I’m here or not, we’ll be together doing them. Then, I hope you find joy in letting go of me—not my memory, but the regret of my absence—and you let me fly off into the universe to keep the exploration going. Then, if you will, join me someday far in the future, where I’ll be waiting.

Mom and Dad:

If the world were full of people like you, it would have been taken up into heaven. I feel like I cast you away as a kid, trying to square the perfect world they taught in church with the imperfect one you did your best to make better. I’m sorry for that, but I hope sticking around these last few years has made up for it. I’m proud to have had you as friends, and I love you for letting me become just that, not telling me how to behave.

If my short life has been for anything, I hope you see it as a reflection of the wonderful combination of two pure, imperfect but loving hearts. I feel that love, and will feel that love, beyond the grave. And don’t let my departure from the fold bug you too much: if your God exhibits any of the attributes you claim, then we’ll see each other again. If not, he’s a pretty crappy god, and I don’t want to meet him anyway.

Thank you for teaching me to see the universe for how it is, and for being willing to accept the consequences of that. I hope other parents will show the courage and restraint you have. Thank you for letting me be, and letting me be me.

To my sisters and relatives and those in my pitifully small circle of friends:

Some of you have said I’m smart, “brilliant,” or whatever. And look what it’s gotten me. Many of you are vastly wiser (you know who you are, because we’ve talked, and lately I have always tried to talk with those who are smarter and wiser than I have been). But here’s what I know (not think—know): we are conscious observers of an unimaginably vast universe. We are each unique and beautiful, like the stars we’ve seen through telescopes or the shapes and scenes we’ve witnessed from the air. We are all a part of this universe, to act in it as we see fit. If you believe something because you fear knowing otherwise, stop believing and start learning. Belief gets people hurt. Especially when believers think they know something.

To me, there should be no room for fear or regret (as I sob in the writing of this), and I hope I exist in your memories as someone who didn’t fear much. So I ask this of each of you: go out today and do something you’ve wanted or needed, but have feared to do. At least at the moment of this writing, I will feel like I’ve accomplished something, which has always been a challenge for a neurotic overachiever such as myself.

So, uh… I should probably finish with TS Eliot’s passage, since it’s some of the only truth I know, but I’ve used it in my email forever. So here’s my own, from the healthy heart of a kid half my age:

Oft I’ve stood in the starlit silence
Of the boundless heavens.
In awe and wonder at the things that I see,
In comfort with the frigid peace of Creation.

Someday I will know the heaven’s secrets.
Not in the peace I now feel,
Not when my body shivers
In the pain of the cold night air.

Someday my Creator will sit with me,
And will teach me,
And all things will be revealed,
And my only shiver will be in delight.

I have delighted in knowing all of you, and I look forward to delighting with all of you in the eternities that follow.

Love,
Warren

Award given in Warren's honor

2008-06-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, NorthCentral University and the City of Prescott Valley held the Second Annual Prescott Valley Kinetic Sculpture Race, and presented the winner with the Warren Parkes Grand Champion Trophy. I just got a picture of the trophy, and I love it. It's a worked metal piece depicting Warren flying an airplane, and on his chest is a large red heart.

I like the whole piece (I tend to like art made out of scrap metals), but I really love the big red heart, and love knowing that everyone who knew Warren saw what a big heart he had. Warren was a pilot, a photographer, a writer, a designer, a college lecturer, a singer...he was so many things. But above all, he was just such a good person. He cared so much. I lived with him, so I saw how much he cared. And now it makes me happy to see that others saw it too!

Warren's Favorites

2008-06-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Favorite Food: Subway, Subway, Subway!! Warren liked anything that would qualify as a "vegetable delivery device" (his phrase)...veggie pizzas, sandwiches loaded with vegetables, etc...

Favorite Color: Rally Blue (similar to royal blue)

Favorite Vacation: kayaking with Orcas in British Columbia

Favorite Movies: What Dreams May Come; Always; The Matrix

Favorite Song: Imagine by John Lennon

Favorite Book: Warren was the quintessential lifetime learner, so picking a "favorite" just isn't possible. He did particularly like Consilience by Edward O Wilson; anything by Wallace Stegner; An Unspoken Hunger by Terry Tempest Williams; and anything science oriented (like his weekly Science News magazine)

Favorite Restaurant: Macaroni Grill (for teriyaki salmon); IHOP (for vegetable omelets); Applebee's (for smothered chicken); Spotted Dog in Springville, Utah-just outside Zion (for anything on the menu...it's all unbelievably good)

Favorite Dessert: Kelly Hawley's Tiramisu

Additional Favorites: Warren had so many interests! He loved writing, reading, photography, graphic design, traveling, flying, hiking, climbing, kayaking, helping out a friend in need, being with people, and most of all...working on a 'big idea" and getting everyone else excited about it too!

Warren's Childhood Memories

2008-06-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

(Warren's three sisters read a few of Warren's childhood remembrances at the memorial service. Before starting, Warren's oldest sister Linnea introduced the stories as follows: "For Christmas last year, we decided to give each other the gift of memories rather than exchanging presents . We each promised to write a childhood memory each Christmas and share those memories with each other. Warren took the call to heart and wrote out several memories over the last year. We would like to remember our little brother by sharing some of the memories of our childhood, in his own words.")

Memory #1
Bath time was always a challenge for Warren, just ask Mom. One bath episode involved the use, without permission, of Corrine's Fisher Price houseboat.

I was certainly going to have something to play with. This despite Corrine's express dissent, with eldest sister Linnea standing as witness. I didn't give the refusal much weight, and while I may have been overestimating my skills at subterfuge, I had a plan. As long as Corrine was out playing with Chuck and Wendy, the penalty for playing with her little-kid toys would be tolerable. Beccaria says in his Essay on Crimes and Punishments that the immediacy and surety of punishment—and not the severity of it—are more likely to dissuade the would-be infractor from infracting. But if you're the little brother of the soon-to-be-infracted-upon, you can instantly size up situation, the magnitude of the sin, and calculate the likelihood of punishment. Besides, I would have the boat dried off and may even have it back in her room before she was off her bike.

This time there was a twist. I was ratted out, and my eldest sister/ witness brandished a new “D” word as her weapon. Linnea caught me in the act of sliding the little keg-shaped people down the houseboat's yellow plastic slide and into the grayish bath water. She wheeled to the front door as I addressed my nakedness and followed. “Corrine, Warren disobeyed you!” she yelled. I was freaked. “Disobeyed?” What was that? It sounded bad, and the context led me to believe I had underestimated my punishment. It had a ring like “dismembered” or “disinterred,” words which had no meaning to me at the time, but were in my sister Rowane's ghost story book, along with the story of that woman whose head rolled off when her husband could no longer stand the red velvet ribbon around her neck (“I told you you'd be sorry!” as her voice trailed off…). Luckily my five year-old calculus had been correct: Corrine was out having a good time and couldn't be bothered. “Okay!” was all she hollered back as she blew by on her purple sissy-barred, banana-seat bike, handlebar tassels and all. It was punishment enough that I was bathing and she was out playing with Chuck and Wendy, who I thought were my friends. I had a new vocabulary word—disobey—to try out, and maybe even personify, when first grade started.

Memory #2
My hatred of the public bathroom might stem from that day at Longfellow that the kid at the urinal next to me noticed my sister's flowered underwear. I can't explain the events leading up to that hand-me-down, but the memory remains, and I'm sure it never happened again.

I think school may be to blame for my aversion to the porcelain throne. That and Corrine, who at some point must have planted the seeds of doubt about the safety of flushable toilets, as she did on so many other things, like curtains in Massachusetts, closets in Mesa and cattle guards closer to home. The world—especially the bathroom—was not a safe place for a little boy at the bottom of the food chain. Upon encountering the school bathroom, I simply had a more public forum to put into practice the newfound neuroses of a first grader with a speeth impediment. For example: Wãw-wen Pãwks (a good New England Harvard accent).

Schools have a lot of bathroom bandwidth, so you don't get slowed down on your beeline from the spelling test. Unless you're in Mrs. Ludwig's third grade class at Washington Elementary, where there was one prerequisite, which could be phrased thus: fluid intake requires advance planning.

Planning has never been my strong suit. On one occasion I simply left, loudly exclaiming that I had to go, or go I would. I had barely gotten onto the fire-escape style staircase when . . . I went anyway. By the time I passed the nurse's office, I didn't need to go anymore, so I just stopped there. This was now more of a medical emergency anyway. The treatment for my condition involved my specialist calling North-Aire to find a suitable donor and perform a “pants-graft.” An hour later I sat in the nurse's office in my new pair of pants, valiantly debating the necessity of returning to class. Surely the rest of the class would note my departure, long absence, and new look. I lost the debate, but discovered kids don't notice what kind of pants you're wearing—until junior high.

Memory #3
One day we girls were splashing in the irrigation water and Warren was supposed to be napping. After successfully conning “the daft baby-sitter into believing that naptime was over (by ingeniously setting the clock to the desired position),” Warren joined us in our fun…he related the following experience:

...No sooner had I run outside than my sisters pointed out that I couldn't play in the irrigation water without shorts, and since I had no shorts, I had to go back inside.

For reasons that had to do with my age and stature, I took their words as law. My gears turned. Naptime was over, by my clock at least. People were out front having fun, and I was not one of them. Think, Warren ! And here is an adult-sized version of what my little mind must have thought: “Shorts” is merely a colloquial derivation, an informal way of saying “not long pants.” So if long pants can be cut short…. Thoughts translated to action. I was into the Singer sewing machine box for those squeaky scissors with the painted-black metal handles. I went to work on my jeans, which had patches on the knees anyway. I estimated the point at which to start the operation on my first pair of “cut-offs” (all that Gordo, the trash-talking next door neighbor with the daddy-long-leg spider collection ever seemed to wear). I got most of the way to the inseam before discovering my shorts were going to look like what later, as a teen, I would set my watch to: The Dukes of Hazzard's Daisy Duke shorts. In fact, I had so badly misjudged the point of first incision that the operation was already hopeless. I was making a miniskirt, or rather a denim tutu, since it didn't even skirt the parts of the body that a miniskirt skirts. It was hopeless. And now I was without a pair of pants as well, and worse, the punishment or laughter that were sure to follow. It was still worth a try. Maybe Rowane could save it for me. She could sew the whole thing back together, and then make those cutoffs for me. Leaning from behind the front door, I called her inside. After some good-natured giggling, Rowane said there would be no time to make shorts, and I was out of luck.

Rowane suggested the chalkboard on the back porch where, after a good cry, I created a piece of art to impress Mom when she got home…a World War Two battle scene with a Japanese aircraft carrier and an American fighter aircraft dive bombing it… While not my breakthrough into the realm of 3D realism, it was my first representative emotional piece...

Sample of Warren's Landscape Photography

2008-06-05T21:53:00.002-07:00

Below is a selection of Warren's beautiful landscape photography:

White Sands National Monument (New Mexico)

Three Trees (Northern Arizona)

Aerial over Sedona (Arizona)

Victoria Harbour (Hong Kong)

Bridge over Roosevelt Lake (Arizona)

Sky Harbour at night (Phoenix airport)

Zion National Park (Utah)

Pacific Northwest

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Northern Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park

Lightning over Prescott

Hoover Dam at night (NV)

Havasupai Falls, Grand Canyon National Park

Coy Pond (Phoenix)

Keck Observatory at Mauna Kea (Hawaii)

Missing Dock (Florida)

Enchanted Forest (Pacific Northwest)

Travels with Betsy

2008-06-05T21:53:00.001-07:00

I can't quite explain it, but a part of me always knew my time with Warren was limited, that every moment we spent together needed to be cherished, recorded, remembered. This feeling drove me to create fairly elaborate photo journals of our years together--not something I had done much of before I met Warren. Now I am, of course, so grateful to have these books that capture forever the wonderful life we shared together. And I would like to share parts of it with you, his friends and family.

Below are images from some of our adventures together. I created the photo journals electronically, so I simply deleted out the text (...since that's a bit too personal for sharing on a public-access site...) and moved the pictures around a bit to create these simple collages. Hope you enjoy them!

2002--Coming soon

2003
Eloping to Zion National Park
Summer trips in 2003
Fall and Winter Trips in 2003

2004
Spring Trips in 2004
The Big Southeast Trip
Ahhhhh...Alaska!
More summer 2004 trips
Fall 2004 Trips

2005
The Big Island of Hawaii!
Warren's Surprise Trip to NYC!
Summer Long Weekends
Fall & Winter Trips

2006
Big trip to Hong Kong & Macau
Spring trips close to home
Summer trip to Glacier National Park & Banff---coming soon
Kayaking with Orcas off Vancouver Island---coming soon

All listed together, it seems like a lot of travelin'. But we did hold down jobs throughout. We just took MANY (long) weekend trips. And, a good number of these trips were actually for work (field assignments for my professional photographer husband!)

We certainly created a lifetime of memories in our short time together.