Edith T. Parker, 90, of Manchester, passed away Nov. 7. She was born in Duisburg, Germany to the late Josef and Anne (Conle) Theisen. In 1952, Edith came to the United States, married her husband Arthur (Peter) in 1959 and settled in Poughkeepsie, New York. She soon thereafter became a proud U.S. citizen. They moved to Middletown in 1974, where she resided for 40 years before relocating to Manchester.
She was a loyal Army West Point football fan, spending many happy weekends tailgating and rooting for her Black Knights. Most of all, Edith cherished the time spent with her family and friends. Her grandchildren were her life’s treasures. She was “Omi” to all and touched many lives. Omi will be deeply missed by all those who loved her.
She was predeceased by her beloved husband Arthur “Pete” Parker and her brother Herbert Theisen. Surviving is her loving daughter Kathleen Zapcic and her husband Andrew, her cherished grandchildren, AJ and his wife Nicole, Christopher and his wife Mary, Scott and his fiancé Rachael and Lauren, and her great-granddaughter Vinnie Mae arriving in December.
A memorial gathering will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 19 at the John E. Day Funeral Home, 85 Riverside Ave., Red Bank. A memorial Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 20 at St. Mary Mother of God Church, 19 Cherry Tree Farm Road, Middletown. Burial of cremated remains will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent in Edith’s memory to Fisher House at fisherhouse.org or The Independence Fund at independencefund.org.
The article originally appeared in the November 19 – 25, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
