HomeMy WebLinkAbout37_Mayors Newsletter_050417MAY 4, 2017
This Week
from the Mayor
Denis Law, Mayor
VOL. II, NO. 14
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2003 City Council with Mayor Law. King Parker is to the
mayor’s left.
Remembering my friend King Parker
It’s hard to believe that a good deal of space in this newsletter has been devoted in recent weeks to
reflecting on the lives of community leaders who have passed away, noting the impact and significant
contributions they made to our city.
In this issue, my thoughts are for a long-time friend who I first got to know in 1993 when I was
considering starting a publishing company in Renton. That friend, former city councilmember King
Parker, passed away Tuesday night.
King, along with a number of local
business leaders, spent a couple months
convincing me that Renton was a very
special place to live and run a business.
They stressed a local newspaper was
vital to help build a sense of community
by reporting on all of the positive things
that were taking place at that time.
Quite frankly, one of the promises that
led me to start the Renton Reporter was
a commitment by King to be a regular
advertiser, an element necessary for any
newspapers to survive. And he followed
through on his promise.
For many years after that, I joined King
and a number of other Renton civic
leaders every morning for breakfast in
the Renton Highlands. Every day, we would argue about the latest issues dominating the news and
offer our personal solutions to those issues, as if we were in charge.
In 2003, I ran for a city council position at the same time King was running for mayor. King would have
been a great mayor, but, unfortunately, he didn’t win. I did win my race for a council seat, and four years
later I ran for mayor at the same time King ran to regain his seat on the city council. We both prevailed
and were at last given the opportunity to work together on critical city issues.
King was a very special person. Not
only was he a devoted family man and
successful business owner, but he gave a
tremendous amount of his time to local
and regional boards and commissions,
service organizations, and later in local
politics, to help steer the city towards
better times. While he clearly was a
“superman” in many ways, having the
support of his son Jason and unofficial-
adopted son, Peter Davies, to run the
day-to-day operations of their retail
appliance store gave him the flexibility
to run a business while also serving the
community.
There is no question King played a significant role in helping Renton overcome a negative reputation,
based mainly from regular jabs by John Keister on KING 5’s Almost Live, to one that today is truly
considered a desired place to live, learn, work and play. He was an effective voice for economic
development initiatives that included our redevelopment efforts downtown, in the Highlands, and
in the South Lake Washington area, which ultimately resulted in the Seahawks, IKEA, Federal Reserve
Bank, new auto dealerships, Southport and The Landing locating in Renton.
King’s strength was understanding the value of collaboration and partnerships. He was a great listener
and he was the one who felt egos should be left at the door so all parties could focus on what was best
for this community. Disagreements did not become personal.
He modeled his belief in helping others by example. The list of organizations or local scout troops that
received financial support from King and Bunnys is long. He knew it was important to show residents
he was committed personally as well as financially.
He mentored kids through Communities In Schools of Renton and got personally involved in countless
organizations devoted to helping others.
It is perhaps unfortunate that we don’t show our full appreciation for the way others have touched
our lives and their value to our community until they are gone. However, the outpouring of love and
respect for King this week is an appropriate testament to the legacy he leaves this community. Baseball
Hall of Famer Ernie Banks once said, “The measure of a man is in the lives he has touched.” In King
Parker we were blessed to have a man who in his own unique way touched all of us and as a result
made Renton the vital, inclusive city we live in today.
King Parker Photo by Denis Law
King with Patty Law Photo by Denis Law