Dorothy Ann (Dot) Durham Park

I was born in Tahoka June 5, 1935. Dr. Ann Weat was the doctor and my middle name, Ann, is for her. Dr. Weat had grown up in Wilson which is in Lynn County and was the first student of Texas Tech to receive an M.D. Degree in Dallas.

In 1950 Tahoka High School decided to organize the first band since World War II. I was chosen as the Drum Major. As a high school senior I was selected as Best All Around Girl and I was also in Who’s Who.

I attended Baylor University two years, 1952 to 1954 and later graduated from East Texas State in December 1959. In 1972 I received my Masters Degree from Texas Tech.

After attending Baylor, I married Gene Sparks on September 11, 1954. He had graduated from Baylor in 1954 and was a Lieutenant in the Air Force. After he returned from Korea, we had two children, Sharon and Steven.

Sharon was born in Yuma, Arizona on November 27, 1956 while Gene was in the Air Force. Steven was born August 10, 1960 in Greenville, Texas. Gene and I were divorced in June, 1966 and I moved to Tahoka and taught Freshman and Sophomore English at Tahoka High School. Sharon was in the fourth grade and Steven started first grade in Tahoka. My first husband Gene Sparks died in February of 1982.

In 1967 I moved to Lubbock and taught Office Education at Estacado and Coronado high schools. I married Sam Park December 22, 1967. He teaches science at Shallowater High School. He has a daughter, Paige, who graduated from Texas Tech University and has a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas in Arlington and lives in Fort Worth. His son, Sid, lives in Miami, Florida. Sharon and Steve both graduated from Monterey High School in Lubbock in 1975 and 1978 respectively. Sharon graduated from Texas Tech in December, 1978 and Steve in May 1983.

Sharon met Joe Barnhart, a Texas Tech graduate, while both were in Tech and they married June 16, 1978. They live in Weatherford and have two daughters, Leslie born December 9, 1982 and Lauren, born February 14, 1986. Joe is a banker and appraiser of commercial properties. Sharon is an elementary physical education teacher.

Steven met Dana Ricketson, a Texas Tech graduate, while they were students at Tech and they were married May 14, 1983 and have a son, Tucker, born June 21, 1990. They live in Rolett, a Dallas suburb. Steve is a Commercial Real Estate Appraiser. Dana is a teacher.

As a business education teacher I have been active in District 17 Texas Business Education Association, serving as secretary, President-elect and as President in 1975. I was honored by that group as Teacher of the Year for District 17 in1976.

I was a charter member of our Vocational Office Education Teachers Association of Texas which was founded in 1968. I served on its Board of Directors and was president of that state organization in 1987. They selected me as Teacher of the Year in 1988. I represented Texas at the Region IV American Vocational Association in New Orleans, April 1989 and was chosen as the Business Education Teacher of the year for Region IV, a six state area. I served on the boards of TVC, TVTA, and OEA—all state vocational organizations. I presented a paper at the Region IV AVA meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico in April, 1988.

I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching and the experiences I have had with my students have been most rewarding. I have had several students to win in state competition and attend national conferences in Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana, Houston; Des Moines, Iowa; and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

It was fun growing up in Tahoka in the 40’s and 50’s. It was and is a good town. The teachers of Tahoka I.S.D. gave me a good education and I grew up in a loving, caring, Christian family for which I am thankful.

Dot Durham Park

Private Family Services will be held at a later date.