Mike Parker, my mentor, company mate and friend passed away last night in a care facility for the aging in New England.
The emotional crushing that a death always seems to bring, fades, we rejoin the living and carry on as we often say the dead would wish. But, while a preponderance of my thoughts will remain with Mike for a while, Mike and Mike’s thoughts have been with me ever single day now for decades. To say “we” would not be who we are today without him, might seem presumptuous, but I know that I would not be who I am today without Mike Parker, along side whom I was most fortunate to have worked and lived.
Thank you Mike.
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I am honored to have known and worked with Mike for the handful of years I did. We will all miss him.
RIP, Mike Parker.
Mike Parker will be missed by all who knew him. I celebrate his life and his never-ending passion for this great type industry that he loved so much.
No other person will ever be able to fill his shoes. Mike Parker was someone who ignited a passion in all those who knew him. I would not have been a type designer, if it wasn't for Mike Parker. I'm sure many others would say the same thing. His enthusiasm for anything relating to type was additive. His legacy is the great Linotype Font Library that he directed and the world’s first digital font library at Bitstream that he created. Mike was a walking-talking encyclopedia on everything relating to typography. As I can attest to, he never stopped talking “type” on the entire 7-hour car trip to RIT for a lecture. And, then he quizzed me on the way back—just to make sure I was listening. I was always in “awe” of the man and everything that he accomplished in his long and illustrious career.
As an aside, I’d like to relate a little story about Mike Parker—about the grounded and kind person that he was. It was in the very early days of Bitstream—a few of us where leaving work one evening. Richard Stetler wasn’t able to start his car. Mike was leaving at about the same time, saw the situation and before anyone could say anything, Mike was under the hood and under the car, trying to resolve the problem. Mike “jiggled this” and “jiggled that” and got the car started. Then, he quickly got up, said “cheers”, and was off to a meeting somewhere—with smudges on his hands and face. But, that’s the kind of guy he was. All in a days work. I can’t seem to put that incident out of my mind. Mike Parker was a remarkable man. Mike wasn’t just a boss—he was a good friend. Never too busy to help someone out.
So, here is to you, Mr. Mike Parker—I toast to your many great successes, accomplishments and to the rich typographic legacy you leave behind for all the rest of us to enjoy.
I can’t help but feel that Mike Parker is still talking type history and bending all the angels’ ears above. Cheers, Mike.
It was a great pleasure to see him again at TypeCon in Milwaukee, when he received the SOTA award. Harry had warned me that Mike's mind wasn't what it had been, but there seemed no diminution in stature, volume or, indeed, the brightness in those eyes.
A big voice for sure in many ways, and one that will be missed a lot.