Hey Guys,
We lost Parker Graves, "missipboy" to a car accident today. He was a great friend to many and a great asset to the cruiser community. His wife, Jill and three year-old daughter, Lillian will need your prayers. Parker touched so many lives everywhere he went. Parker never met a stranger, and he always lived life to the fullest- encouraging others to do the same. Although parker was taken from us at a young age, he probably had twice the happiness of many; Parker never wasted life being pissed off, negative or holding a grudge. I have no memory of him without a big grin on his face.
I don’t have the skills to write a fitting eulogy for such an incredible person. All I can do is share one of many stories that illustrates the kind of person Parker was. A few months ago, a buddy of ours was driving Parker's cruiser out by the river. We'd had a few beers, Parker was in the passenger seat, I and another friend were in back. We were in his diesel fj62-an awesome ride. We came around a bend to a water filled ravine (the mississippi river was at flood stage and water was backed up into many low lying areas). Our buddy who was driving, in spite of Parker's and others cries of NO! NO! NO!, gunned the engine and hit about five feet of water! Needless to say, the engine was destroyed. $8,000 worth of diesel engine had to be replaced. Parker looked over at his buddy and calmly said: “man- it’s just a truck.” He knew friendship was worth far more than the most rare, imported diesel engine. Earlier, I said that Parker loved cruisers; I was wrong. Parker didn’t love the metal and rubber that makes a cruiser. He loved what Toyota Landcruisers stand for: adventure, the open road, the unexplored trail, and most of all, the friendship among those that love the same.
Parker was planning on attending the cruiser crawl in a few weeks- hope you guys will give a moment of thought to a great guy who loved his family, loved life, and loved cruisers. Hug your loved ones, kiss your babies, and get out on the trail! That’s what Missipboy would have you do!
We lost Parker Graves, "missipboy" to a car accident today. He was a great friend to many and a great asset to the cruiser community. His wife, Jill and three year-old daughter, Lillian will need your prayers. Parker touched so many lives everywhere he went. Parker never met a stranger, and he always lived life to the fullest- encouraging others to do the same. Although parker was taken from us at a young age, he probably had twice the happiness of many; Parker never wasted life being pissed off, negative or holding a grudge. I have no memory of him without a big grin on his face.
I don’t have the skills to write a fitting eulogy for such an incredible person. All I can do is share one of many stories that illustrates the kind of person Parker was. A few months ago, a buddy of ours was driving Parker's cruiser out by the river. We'd had a few beers, Parker was in the passenger seat, I and another friend were in back. We were in his diesel fj62-an awesome ride. We came around a bend to a water filled ravine (the mississippi river was at flood stage and water was backed up into many low lying areas). Our buddy who was driving, in spite of Parker's and others cries of NO! NO! NO!, gunned the engine and hit about five feet of water! Needless to say, the engine was destroyed. $8,000 worth of diesel engine had to be replaced. Parker looked over at his buddy and calmly said: “man- it’s just a truck.” He knew friendship was worth far more than the most rare, imported diesel engine. Earlier, I said that Parker loved cruisers; I was wrong. Parker didn’t love the metal and rubber that makes a cruiser. He loved what Toyota Landcruisers stand for: adventure, the open road, the unexplored trail, and most of all, the friendship among those that love the same.
Parker was planning on attending the cruiser crawl in a few weeks- hope you guys will give a moment of thought to a great guy who loved his family, loved life, and loved cruisers. Hug your loved ones, kiss your babies, and get out on the trail! That’s what Missipboy would have you do!
