JULIE KAY PARKS

Julie Kay Parks, 71, was born in Frederick, Oklahoma on New Year’s Eve of 1952, making each year’s conclusion a doubly special event. She was the daughter of Bill Richard Parks and Myrna Lynn Maynard Parks. She passed away on April 22, 2024, after a short illness.

Julie grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas and graduated from S.H. Rider High School. She went on to study art, history, and social work, graduating from Texas Woman’s University and University of Houston with her Master of Social Work degree.

After moving to Fort Worth, Julie began her social services career in 1980 with Tarrant County MHMR in services to the aging. Following a brief hiatus in real estate, Julie again pursued social work at Harris Methodist Hospital, now Texas Health Fort Worth, where she focused on trauma and head injury care. In 1996 Julie accepted a social work position within Tarrant County government, where she soon served as liaison to Gerald Wright, Director of Human Resources, under G.K. Maenius.  Julie later became the Director of Human Services, where she completed her professional journey and retired in January 2021.  Throughout her career, Julie maintained   deep and compassionate care for clients she served. She touched thousands of lives with her loving attention to their needs, while affording them heartfelt dignity and respect. Always a professional, Julie earned the admiration of colleagues and employees in every venue.

During the twenty-five years spent with Tarrant County government, Julie participated in countless initiatives to improve lives in our community. But one of her most treasured was being a founding member of the Back-2-School Roundup initiative, providing backpacks filled with school supplies, dental/vision screenings, and haircuts necessary for a successful start to school for children each fall. Watching the backpacks grow from a few hundred in the initial years to thousands, years later, spoke to the power of this successful initiative for the children of Tarrant County.

All of Julie’s close friends knew that her greatest joy was the love of her life, Chris Watson. They married in May 1992 and began a thirty-two-year adventure which included a mandatory and beloved kitty, or two, or three. Their travel adventures were countless, but the most special were their magical bike trips in Italy, Provence, and their trips to cheer on Tour de France riders. When not traveling, she biked many miles in Tarrant and surrounding counties, while also making time for walking, pilates, yoga, and workouts at the Benbrook Y. Her tenacity and resilience powered her through most of life’s challenges.

Julie is survived by her husband Chris Watson, sisters-in-law Sherry Matina and Cecily Burleson and her husband Rick Burleson, brother-in-law Edward Watson, and their extended, loving families.  Julie was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, and her beloved grandmother Lotus Maynard of Tipton, Oklahoma, who encouraged and nurtured Julie’s love of the arts and humanities.

Services will be held at the Marty Leonard Community Chapel at 4:30 pm Tuesday, May 14^th with a reception to follow at the Amon Carter Event Center close by on the Lena Pope campus.  

For those desiring, memorial contributions in Julie’s honor may be sent to Humane Society of North Texas 1840 East Lancaster Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76103 or hsnt.org