Arthur H. Parker passed away peacefully on the morning of January 22, 2022 at his home in Barrington. Connie, his adoring wife of 60 years and Matthew, Heather and Holly, his 3 loving children and their spouses, Marcela, Dan and Marc were by his side smothering him with love.  

Arthur was born on August 12, 1935 in Dover, Massachusetts, to Richard and Ruby Parker. He attended Brown University where his life would be forever changed. Arthur would often reminisce about his time at Brown, sometimes getting teary as he would share his many memories and experiences. He made lifelong friends at Brown and remained forever loyal as he dedicated much of his time to fundraising, mentoring and honoring the university that “took a chance on me.”  

After graduating in 1958 with a psychology degree, Arthur moved to New York City with three of his best pals from Brown to work for Chemical Bank. It was in New York where Arthur met the love of his life, Carolyn B. Parker, aka Connie. They were married on August 12, 1961, which also happened to be his 26th birthday. Shortly thereafter Arthur joined the National Guard where he served for 2 years. After fulfilling his obligation to the National Guard, Arthur and Connie moved to Ithaca, NY where he worked for the Cornell endowment. In 1968 Arthur was offered a job working on the endowment at Brown, and he was thrilled to return to Rhode Island and to his beloved university. They moved to Barrington and spent the next 54 years raising their three children and eventually welcoming 8 grandchildren to the family home at 8 Harbour Road. 

Arthur eventually branched out on his own and started Manasett Corporation, before joining the investment firm, Standish, Ayer and Wood in Boston as a partner. Arthur enjoyed many wonderful years at Standish where his clients became extended family. Arthur had a true gift advising his clients.  They greatly benefited from his wisdom, commitment and value approach to equity investing. More than understanding investing, Arthur understood people. He had a way of making you feel like the most important person in the world, offering his undivided attention and sage advice along the way. 

Above all, Arthur’s family always came first. He continuously professed his love for his family whom he said he “loved more than life itself.” Matt, Heather and Holly all thought of Artie as their best friend and reveled in their parents’ devotion to their 8 grandchildren: Sophia, Matthew, Victoria, Nicholas, Colby, Tyler, Parker and Mason. Arthur’s kind touch, wonderful counsel, gentlemanly approach and unmatched sense of humor have shaped the family significantly. For those that knew him, his sense of humor would rise to the top of Arthur’s contribution to life, making so many laugh every step of the way, and his friends cherished his company as a result.

Arthur dedicated his time, wisdom and donated significantly to many charitable organizations including Brown University, Blithewold, the Westport Land Trust, the Shraft and Grimshaw foundations along with the Parker Charitable Trust.  

Besides his wonderful devoted wife Connie, 3 children and 8 grandchildren, Arthur also leaves behind his sister Ruby Parker and her wife Deb. A memorial service will be held in the spring and notification will follow at a later time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, https://act.alz.org/donate.