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Town 'N Country Boy Recalled As 'King Of The Sun'

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By ANGELA DELGADO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 5, 2008

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - James Francis Parker was known for his sweet and loving demeanor, his talent for swimming, his brilliant mind and for the golden locks on his head.

Among his many accomplishments, James had the distinction of receiving the "Perfect Hair Award" from his then-seventh grade classmates at Incarnation Catholic School. His friends called him the "King of the Sun" because of his "great big smile and his gold hair," said swim teammate Teodoro Boscaino.

James, who finished his freshman year at Jesuit High School, died May 31 from injuries suffered in a water scooter accident.

Boscaino was one of several hundred who arrived at Incarnation Catholic Church, 8220 W. Hillsborough Ave., on Wednesday morning to mourn and celebrate James' 14 years of life.

His burial followed at Trinity Memorial Gardens in New Port Richey.

On May 24, James was at a swim meet when his father, Jonathon Parker, said James called to ask permission to go to a friend's party. An hour later, Parker said, someone called to say James and his younger brother Benjamin, 13, had been in a watercraft accident.

James, of Westchase, was driving and Benjamin was his passenger. Gary Morse, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the boys were on Egypt Lake, south of Waters Avenue and east of North Dale Mabry Highway, moving fast on a water scooter when they ran underneath a dock about 1:30 p.m.

Morse said they were wearing life jackets but neither was certified to operate the personal watercraft. The incident is under investigation, Morse said.

Both were transported to St. Joseph's Hospital, and although James' injuries were irreparable, Benjamin was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon in time to attend his older brother's funeral.

Wednesday, as James' coffin was rolled in by a group of teenage boys, attendees held one another and wiped away tears. Photo collages showed James smiling broadly with siblings Margaret, 7, Benjamin and Samuel, 4, enjoying the beach and swimming in a pool. The letterman jacket he received for swimming at Jesuit hung beside the collages.

James, who was born in Gig Harbor, Wash., swam for the Berkeley Barracudas, was a member of the Key Club, volunteered for the Special Olympics and wanted to become a physician.

He was already looking into what college he would attend, although he was only a freshman, his father said.

James was valedictorian of his eighth grade class at Incarnation Catholic School. The salutatorian told Jonathon Parker that he was always competing against James, but he felt James was never competing against him.

"He was just exceeding on his own because it was what he wanted to do," Parker said of his son.

During the Catholic mass led by Father Eric Hunter, James' mother, Ann, caressed Margaret and family members wept. Attendees prayed for James and sang "Amazing Grace." At the end of the Mass of the Resurrection, family members spoke about James.

James' uncle, Mike Whalen, spoke first.

"Over the last 12 days, we've all gone through a range of emotions," he said. "I never thought I'd have to do something like this; to stand up here and eulogize my nephew. The heavenly swim team is now ranked above Jesuit."

Jonathon Parker followed.

He spoke about James' understanding and compassion beyond his years. He told family and friends about the day he had to tell James and Benjamin that Samuel was born with Down syndrome. He said James realized that neither of his parents were likely to outlive Samuel and he knew it was his responsibility to look after his younger brother when his parents couldn't.

"James was a great source of pride for us," he said. "At age 14 he was a better man than I was."

He recalled how he recently helped James interpret Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven," and how the raven in the poem symbolized the grief the narrator was experiencing after losing a loved one.

"I'd never suffered a great loss," Parker said. "But I have now. That raven, if I look back, is going to stare back at me.

"But it will also be a constant reminder of James, so I'll be friends with it," he said.

Reporter Angela Delgado can be reached at adelgado@tampatrib.com or

(813) 865-1501.

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