David B. Parker, the first manager of Wildwood Preserve Metropark and longtime director of operations and safety services for Metroparks Toledo (Ohio), passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. He was 77.
Parker was a devoted family man whose leadership and service left a lasting impact. He built a legacy of accomplishments and friendships — known for his generosity and willingness to lend a hand whenever needed.
His many interests included photography, horseback riding, off-roading, and travel. He organized several memorable family trips, with destinations like the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Alaska among the highlights.
Parker’s longtime friend and colleague, Art Webber, describes him as “forward thinking, ahead of his time on many issues, especially as they pertained to park development, operations and ranger services. He embraced what he saw as great ideas and turned them into action. He was a wonderful teacher, often taking a leading role in designing training courses for staff to have the expertise to implement the new ideas, and his passion to make things better extended far beyond the scope of our agency, influencing improvements on state-wide and national platforms.”
A native of Mentor, Ohio, Parker attended Kent State University before earning a degree in public administration with an emphasis on environmental studies from Miami University. He also obtained his Ohio Peace Officer Certification, setting the foundation for his career.
He began his career at Hueston Woods State Park, where he worked as an assistant manager and established the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Parks Ranger Training School for southern Ohio. In 1971, he received the school’s Instructor Award in recognition of his contributions.
In 1972, Parker joined Metroparks Toledo as park manager and ranger at Secor and Swan Creek Preserve Metroparks. His achievements earned him the Ohio Park Ranger of the Year award in 1974. The following year, when the former Stranahan Estate became Wildwood Preserve Metropark, he was named its first manager and ranger. He remained deeply involved in professional development, serving with the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (OPRA), the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), and the National Society of Park Resources Board of Trustees.
In 1986, Parker transitioned to Metroparks administration as chief of operations and ranger services, overseeing everything from facility maintenance to law enforcement and field training. His leadership with OPRA included serving on the executive board, as president in 1992, and as a three-time chair of the annual conference. He was honored as OPRA’s Outstanding Leadership Professional in 1986.
On a national level, Parker contributed to the expertise in playground safety and design. He became a Certified Playground Safety Inspector and, in 1984, an instructor for the National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI). For nearly a decade, he taught an average of 10 institutes annually and was named a senior instructor in 2001. He later trained new instructors and served on the NPSI Executive Committee, including two terms as chair. His work in playground safety extended internationally through various committees.
Tom Kalousek, a fellow instructor and friend of Parker’s, notes that he would, “often hold ‘extra’ review sessions with the students in the evening after teaching all day. He wanted to make sure that if the students didn’t understand the materials that he would at least try to explain, demonstrate or clarify the information.”
Following his retirement from Metroparks Toledo in 2007, he continued his work as a partner in professional playground inspections. In 2008, he was appointed to the Board of Supervisors for the Lucas County Soil and Water Conservation District and was involved with Green Energy Ohio.
He is survived by his loving wife, Robin Ford Parker, and daughters Samantha (her husband Endi Qendro), Sarah and Sydney Parker. He is also survived by his sister Mari Beth Kirkland, brother Jeffrey (his wife Peggy) Parker, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leona and Walter Reginald Parker, and his brother-in-law, Sherman Kirkland.
