Career
Parks was the last builder of Chesapeake Bay skipjack sailing vessels. Parks began building boats at the age of 16 and completed more than 400 vessels during his career. He built his first skipjack, the Wilma Lee, in 1940.
The last three skipjacks that Parks completed were the Rosie Parks and the Martha Lewis in 1955 and the Lady Katie in 1956.
In 1958, Parks was working on an 18-foot (55 m) skipjack-style sailboat for Willis C. Rowe of Silver Spring, Maryland. During a confrontation with Parks on May 13, 1958, regarding the cost of the project Rowe shot the boatbuilder three times killing him.
Rowe was eventually convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
