Colonel, Royal Canadian Regiment, Canadian Forces. He was working at Land Force Central Area Headquarters and preparing for an upcoming mission with the Canadian contingent of NATO forces serving in Afghanistan.
Col Geoff Parker and five American soldiers died when their convoy of vehicles was struck by a suicide car bomber during the morning rush hour in Kabul. In addition, 12 Afghan civilians were killed and 47 others injured in the attack.
Aged 42, Col Parker was born and raised in Oakville, Ontario. He joined the Canadian Forces under the Regular Officer Training Program in 1989 while attending the University of Western Ontario. After graduation in 1990 and completion of infantry officer training, he embarked on a steadily rising career. Previous deployments included peacekeeping missions to Croatia in 1992 and Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1996, and overseeing two deployments of the Disaster Assistance Response Team and three Afghanistan rotations. More recently, Col Parker served as the commanding officer of 2 Battalion RCR based in Gagetown, New Brunswick for two years until June 2009. Well-known and highly respected, he was hand-picked from across the army to fill an important post with the Afghanistan mission. The job as second-in-command at the Stability Division of Regional Command South was scheduled to begin in November, a posting that would have seen him coordinating NATO ISAF humanitarian and development efforts. A colleague described him as a consummate professional officer who was also a compassionate and humble man with an infectious laugh.
Col Parker held a Bachelor of Engineering Science from UWO, a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College. He was a recipient of the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD), NATO for Former Republic of Macedonia Medal (NATO-FYROM), Sacrifice Medal (Posthumous).
He will be remembered for his passion for travelling with family and friends, as well as his fishing expeditions and summers spent at the cottage near Arundel.
Col Parker is survived by his wife Mary Jane, son Charles and daughter Alexandria, mother Edna and brother David, along with other relatives, friends and his military family.
Military funeral was held on May 27, 2010 at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. Interment on May 28, 2010 at Arundel, QC.
Col Parker was the 145th and highest-ranking Canadian Forces member killed since the Afghanistan mission began in 2002. One diplomat, a journalist and two aid workers have also died.
*Sincere thanks to Graceti for her generous sponsorship of this memorial.
*Thanks to Michael Moore for the photo
The U.S. Army fatalities were identified as
Col John M. McHugh
LTC Paul R. Bartz
LTC Thomas P. Belkofer
SSgt Richard J. Tieman
Sgt Joshua A. Tomlinson
Colonel, Royal Canadian Regiment, Canadian Forces. He was working at Land Force Central Area Headquarters and preparing for an upcoming mission with the Canadian contingent of NATO forces serving in Afghanistan.
Col Geoff Parker and five American soldiers died when their convoy of vehicles was struck by a suicide car bomber during the morning rush hour in Kabul. In addition, 12 Afghan civilians were killed and 47 others injured in the attack.
Aged 42, Col Parker was born and raised in Oakville, Ontario. He joined the Canadian Forces under the Regular Officer Training Program in 1989 while attending the University of Western Ontario. After graduation in 1990 and completion of infantry officer training, he embarked on a steadily rising career. Previous deployments included peacekeeping missions to Croatia in 1992 and Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1996, and overseeing two deployments of the Disaster Assistance Response Team and three Afghanistan rotations. More recently, Col Parker served as the commanding officer of 2 Battalion RCR based in Gagetown, New Brunswick for two years until June 2009. Well-known and highly respected, he was hand-picked from across the army to fill an important post with the Afghanistan mission. The job as second-in-command at the Stability Division of Regional Command South was scheduled to begin in November, a posting that would have seen him coordinating NATO ISAF humanitarian and development efforts. A colleague described him as a consummate professional officer who was also a compassionate and humble man with an infectious laugh.
Col Parker held a Bachelor of Engineering Science from UWO, a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College. He was a recipient of the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD), NATO for Former Republic of Macedonia Medal (NATO-FYROM), Sacrifice Medal (Posthumous).
He will be remembered for his passion for travelling with family and friends, as well as his fishing expeditions and summers spent at the cottage near Arundel.
Col Parker is survived by his wife Mary Jane, son Charles and daughter Alexandria, mother Edna and brother David, along with other relatives, friends and his military family.
Military funeral was held on May 27, 2010 at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. Interment on May 28, 2010 at Arundel, QC.
Col Parker was the 145th and highest-ranking Canadian Forces member killed since the Afghanistan mission began in 2002. One diplomat, a journalist and two aid workers have also died.
*Sincere thanks to Graceti for her generous sponsorship of this memorial.
*Thanks to Michael Moore for the photo
The U.S. Army fatalities were identified as
Col John M. McHugh
LTC Paul R. Bartz
LTC Thomas P. Belkofer
SSgt Richard J. Tieman
Sgt Joshua A. Tomlinson
