Friends, colleagues mourn Parker's passing

SANDPOINT — The Pend Oreille watershed has lost one of its passionate protectors.

Lake*A*Syst founder Gary Scott Parker died last Friday at Bonner General Hospital following an ongoing, undisclosed illness. He was 48.

An informal gathering to celebrate Parker’s life is planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Gardenia Center.

The Sagle resident was widely known to waterfront landowners on Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River through the Lake*A*Syst program, which counseled people on how to protect water quality by curbing stormwater and nutrient pollution.

Parker was also a member of the Bonner County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force and a fixture at the Sandpoint Farmer’s Market. Parker was a member of the Bonner County Master Gardeners.

Commissioners mourned Parker’s death during their meeting on Tuesday. His passing appeared to catch many off guard.

“I think it came on pretty quick,” Commissioner Todd Crossett said of Parker’s illness.

Commission Chairman Lewis Rich said he considered Parker a friend.

Dave Hussey of the Panhandle Environmental League said he was shocked by Parker’s passing. Hussey said he was just starting to get to know Parker.

“The guy was really just a nice, gentle soul,” said Hussey.

Parker was born and raised in Pocatello. He studied natural resources conservation and graduated from Idaho State University.

Parker ran a martial arts studio at one point and enjoyed hiking, kayaking and gardening.

For approximately 20 years, Parker worked as a ranger at Idaho state parks at Harriman, Farragut and Round Lake. He spent the last several years at the Bonner Soil & Water Conservation District, where he launched the Lake*A*Syst program.

Parker spearheaded a demonstration project at Memorial Field. The project, which was just dedicated in May, corralled petrochemical-tainted stormwater so it could be cleansed through mycofiltration, a process in which mushroom mycelium are utilized as a biological filters. A vegetative buffer was created on 600 feet of shoreline at the site.

Parker was known for always wearing three things — a baseball cap, a beard and a friendly smile. He also was not afraid to stand up for the things he believed, but did so with a non-confrontational, diplomatic style.

Friends and colleagues plan on planting a pear tree in the vegetative buffer at Memorial Field after Saturday’s memorial.

“We’re thinking of maybe having a memorial paddle because he was big into kayaking on the lake,” added Kate Wilson of the Pend Oreille Basin Commission.