Dr. Frank Parks Passes Away: Remembering a Great Teacher and Friend

It is with great sorrow that Frostburg State University has lost one of its own. Dr. Frank Parks, of the English Department, passed away Saturday morning. Both faculty and students continue to mourn his passing.

Dr. Parks first joined the English Department at Frostburg State University in 1978 and went on to teach a variety of professional writing, journalism and literature courses. He coordinated the Public Relations and Journalism minors, and he was the Chair of the Department Assessment Committee. He also served as the acting Chair of the Department on occasion, and from 1993 to 1997 served as Associate Provost and Acting Provost of the university.

Faculty members have nothing but praise for Dr. Parks and what he meant to this university and its surrounding community. Dr. Gerald Snelson, who was a close friend and colleague of Dr. Parks, said, “he was truly one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met.” He talked about Dr. Parks’ love of reading, both professionally and leisurely. They often discussed British detective novels and Scandinavian noir, which they shared a love for. Dr. Snelson said that he had a tremendous wit and was a “voracious reader.”

Dr. Mary Ann Lutz said that Dr. Parks was always very helpful, to both students and faculty members, and that he would spend endless amounts of time with students, helping them in whatever way he could. Because he was the head of the Assessment Committee, Dr. Lutz explained, he was always trying to upgrade the English curriculum to keep pace with a “radically changing world.” She said that Dr. Parks was always very witty, and had a great sense of humor. One of the things she said she will miss most about him is the fact that he was such a “great conversationalist.” They would talk wherever and whenever they could, just enjoying each other’s company.

Dr. Amy Branam Armiento spoke of how much she admired Dr. Parks and how much of a mentor he was to her, as well as to other faculty members in the English Department. He was an “amazing colleague,” she said. He always had such good student evaluations for an older faculty member, which she says was a testament to not only his teaching style, but the kind of person he was as well. He always remembered what others were interested in, and he always encouraged his students to be the best they could be.

Dr. Branam Armiento spoke of how much of a father figure he became to her after she moved to the Frostburg area. She explained that he would always check in on her and help her in whatever he could. She also spoke of how amazed she was when he started talking about one of the articles she had previously written and published. It proved that he cared for and took an interest in his fellow faculty members. She spoke of how wonderful he was, how much his students loved him, and how much he loved teaching them in return. He was “so professional, and so caring,” she said. Many faculty members still cannot believe he is gone, but knows he will live on in memory, and as a great instructor through his students.

Dr. Charles Ewers and Dr. Martha Dolly both echoed what all the other English faculty members have said. Dr. Ewers said he was a “great colleague,” while Dr. Dolly said it was a “pleasure to work with him.” When Dr. Ewers first started teaching journalism, Dr. Parks was very much a mentor to him as well. Dr. Dolly had known Dr. Parks for almost thirty years, and she talked about how warm and congenial he was. “He did so much,” and he was always on top of everything, she explained. She was always very impressed with him, both as a teacher and a friend.

Johnne Webster was one student who talked about how much she enjoyed his classes. Having Dr. Parks for European Literature last semester, she talked about how relaxed and friendly he was toward his students. “He always seemed interested in how the students were doing,” she explained. Webster spoke with him outside of class on a few occasions and said he would go out of his way to see how his students were doing. She always felt comfortable talking to him. “He had a great sense of humor, too,” she said, adding that one of her favorite things about him was how he could tell a hilarious joke and keep a straight face while doing it. Webster said she would have loved to have taken more classes with him if she had been given the chance.

Melody Tootoonchi is another student who was close to Dr. Parks. She knew him through her parents, who were friends with him and his wife, before she attended Frostburg. She explained that she got her very first piece of writing advice  from Dr. Parks, before she even knew she wanted to be an English major. He told her mother, Nazanin Tootoonchi, a math instructor at FSU, that writers often start out drawing in their journals and it was a good sign that Tootoonchi drew so much, as it’s a good creative exercise. Having him for both Introduction to Literature and Jane Austen in Literature and Film, Tootoonchi said that he was always “kind and respectful” and “genuinely wanted to get to know us” as students. She said that he was by no means an easy grader, but every comment he made on a paper helped that student become a better writer. She could tell how much he loved his job and said that he was always there for his students.

Dr. Parks co-authored three separate books on composition and writing and also co-edited a collection of essays on Maryland literature and history. His latest solo scholarly work is called “William Parks: The Colonial Printer in the Transatlantic World of the Eighteenth Century,” first published in 2012. Dr. Parks is also the author of several scholarly articles in professional journals, biographical dictionaries and magazines.

Dr. Frank Parks was a great friend, colleague and instructor, loved by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. He had a passion for teaching and working with students. Dr. Branam explained that he was one of those people who definitely “walked the walk.” The university’s thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. Parks’ family and friends.

Rest in peace, Dr. Parks. Frostburg won’t be the same without you.