A family checks out the new Greenfield substation sign dedicated in the name of their late friend, Dean Parker, who served nearly 40 years with Greenfield Power & Light before passing away four years ago.
GREENFIELD — Bob Fink knows his best friend Dean Parker wasn’t a big fan of accolades.
Yet he couldn’t have been prouder to see his buddy’s name immortalized in gold-trimmed letters this week on a sign at the new Parker Substation across the street from the Greenfield Power & Light headquarters at 333 S. Franklin St.
More than 60 people gathered for a dedication at the substation Friday morning, where Parker’s parents — Richard and Ann Parker — had the honor of leading the ribbon cutting.
This week marked the four-year anniversary of the day Parker passed away in May 2019 after battling colon cancer.
The beloved family man was also beloved at work, where he spent 40 years as a lineman and mapping supervisor for Greenfield Power & Light.
“The thing about a guy like Dean is they get things done,” said Greenfield’s mayor Chuck Fewell.
“You sometimes don’t realize until they’re gone just how much they did. Dean trained a lot of the guys here,” said Fewell, motioning to the local linemen who attended Friday’s ceremony.
“Dean loved what he did,” said his wife, Diana Parker, who keeps the first call-out slip her husband ever got on a shelf in her bedroom.
“Back then they climbed the poles. He came home and said, ‘Here, keep this,’ so I did,” she said with a smile, while holding her 3-year-old grandson, Samuel, in her arms.
Samuel held tight to a toy hard hat in one hand and the red ribbon from Friday’s dedication in the other, both of which would likely join the faded call-out slip on the shelf.
Family members came from as far as California, Colorado, Nevada and Michigan to Friday’s dedication, the first time they’ve all been in one spot since Parker’s funeral four years ago.
“Memorial Day always meant a lot to us. We always had a party, so we’re going to have an open house for everyone this weekend,” Diana Parker said after the ceremony.
She struggled to find the words to say how much it meant to see the new substation dedicated in her husband’s honor.
“He spent a lot of his life with this company,” she said, as an American flag waved atop a Greenfield Power & Light bucket truck overhead.
Dean and Diana Parker owned and operated the Chicago’s Pizza shop in Greenfield since 2001, and Diana Parker keeps the family business going. The couple also ran the McCordsville location for a time.
“It was a dream of mine, so he supported us at Power & Light and I ran the business, and he’d help me on the weekends,” she said.
Parker received countless hugs and well wishes at Friday’s dedication ceremony, where many spoke of what a great friend and colleague Dean Parker was.
“He was a dedicated employee and great fun to be around. Very energetic,” said Brady Baker, compliance manager for Greenfield Power & Light.
Operations manager Guy Titus said he and Parker were among four men to be hired at the utility within the same year nearly 45 years ago. “We all grew up together,” he said.
Fink was happy to see so many people come out Friday to honor his longtime friend, who was known for giving it his all at his job without the need for accolades.
“He deserves this,” said Fink, standing in front of the sign that bears his friend’s name. “He may not like it, but he deserves it,” he said with a grin.
