Mercedes Hastings Parks, a 16-year Palisadian and retired teacher who was known to many students and friends as ‘Gramma,’ passed away on September 7. She was 82. Born on March 27, 1930 in Los Angeles, Mercedes was the eldest of three siblings. Her brother Jerome predeceased her, and she is survived by her younger brother, Dean Hastings of Oregon, whom she helped raise. While taking a debate class at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, Mercedes met 6′ 4′ Mack Parks, the love of her life. They married in 1957 after both had finished college and Mack had completed naval service in the Korean conflict. Mercedes graduated from Whittier College with a B.A. and a speech credential, returning 30 years later to earn her M.A. in education administration. She taught all her career in the Los Nietos School District (Wallace Wiggins, Aeolian and Nelson) and served as a principal at Aeolian her last 10 years, retiring in 1992. Mercedes and her husband Mack, who predeceased her in 1993, lived in Whittier for nearly 50 years. Most recently, the last 15 years, Mercedes led a happy and fulfilling life in Pacific Palisades, where she lived next door to her daughter, Donnalisa Parks Barnum, her husband Bill and three of her five grandchildren, Michael, Christopher and Kellie. She drove the children in an SUV to sports practices and games until they entered college, and never missed a game; she was always an animated cheering section for their various teams. Christopher played basketball at Stanford and Kellie currently plays volleyball at Boston College. Mercedes was a frequent ‘guest teacher’ in the preschool at St. Matthew’s, putting her speech therapy skills to work helping preschoolers pronounce their S’s and F’s correctly. She was truly a grand-MOTHER to all.’ She is also survived by her son, Jeff Parks (wife Jackie) and two grandsons, Cody and Matthew Parks of Carlsbad. She visited them frequently and was an avid fan at their baseball and soccer games as well as participating in the lives of the many friends she made on visits there. Umpires and referees always knew what the enthusiastic Mercedes thought of their calls, and she wasn’t shy about offering them the extra pair of glasses she kept in her purse. Mercedes loved family, teaching, her community and her many friends. She was known for her sense of humor and boundless energy. She was an active member of the Whittier Kiwanis and continued participating in her beloved Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional women’s group comprising mainly educators. Not surprisingly, she was always asked to be the auctioneer for the many fundraisers she helped organize. Mercedes thrived in her new town of Pacific Palisades, where family and friends always included her in celebrations, school and sports events, and conversations at the grocery store. Nearly every day she recounted to Jeff and Donnalisa’s families who she had seen, what they were doing, and the good news they had to share. When Mercedes had successful back surgery recently, it was discovered she had non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She passed away two weeks later at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, surrounded by the family who loved her deeply.’ Memorial services were held at St. Matthew’s Parish Church and at Rose Hills Cemetery, where she was laid to rest on September 15.
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