Wendy Welch Parker, a resident of Willow Springs, Missouri, passed away Tuesday, July 21, 2026, while at her home with her family by her side. Wendy was born October 24, 1962, in Sacramento, California, to William Tyson and Sally Rae (Zwick) Welch, and was 63 years old.
She was a born traveler as she went from Nova Scotia, Canada to San Diego, California to Tijuana, Mexico to Spokane, Washington, back to Canada and then on to Sacramento, California, all before she was even born.
She had many adventures in her life as a young military dependent. She spent some of her earliest years in New Zealand where her father was stationed in the Air Force. Upon his retirement, the family settled down in Jacksonville, Florida. Wendy attended Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville and graduated from FCCJ Jacksonville in 1980. She spent the next seven years traveling the Eastern Seaboard working several odd jobs and living a carefree life with friends; however, in 1987 she settled back down in Jacksonville where she met her husband, Avery, when he was stationed at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville. They fell in love instantly and she stuck by his side and kept the home fires burning during his 20 years in the Navy. They were married in a freak snow/ice storm in Jacksonville, Florida on December 23rd, 1989.
The two spent their military years bouncing every three years from Jacksonville to Millington, Tennessee (where she worked as a Medical Assistant) to Pensacola, Florida and back a few times until his retirement from the NAVY. Then they moved to Willow Springs, Missouri in 2004 where he found a career as the Director of the Biomedical Engineering Department at Texas County Memorial Hospital while she became (in her words), a “Professional Volunteer”.
People (and plants) have always been her passion. She was a literal “Tree Hugger” and her husband would say, “She can stick a 2×4 in the ground and make it grow!” She made lifelong friends instantly and loved the broken, hurting, and downtrodden people the most. She never met a stranger and hugged every veteran she ever met. Wendy spent most of her time in Willow working at the local thrift store and food pantry (MUNCH). She was an officer in the Willow Springs Arts Council, she was a founding member of the Star Dramatic Company (a community based theater group), and was involved in over 25 plays. Her favorite part was playing “Ouiser” in Steel Magnolias. She helped with producing some of the concerts put on by the Southern Ozarks Community Orchestra (SOCO), and will be greatly missed by her family and all who were fortunate enough to know her.
Wendy was preceded in death by her father, William and her son, Robert William “Billy”.
She is survived by her husband, Avery Parker of Willow Springs, Missouri; her mother, Sally Welch of Florida; brother, John Welch of Willow Springs, Missouri; her estranged sisters, Marjory Mitchell and Karen McGhee of Florida; her children, Lori Michele (Parks) of Coleman, Texas, Amanda Sue (Smiley) of Santa Anna, Texas and John Michael Parker of Willow Springs, Missouri; six grandchildren, one great-grandchild, nieces, and nephews further survive.
A celebration of life for Wendy will be held Saturday, August 15th, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Historic Star Theater located at 205 East Main Street, Willow Springs, Missouri, with Michael Leurssen officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you bring a plant to the theater for a “Plant Swap” after the service. Arrangements are under the direction of Willow Funeral Home, LLC.
