Dennis James Parker

Dennis James Parker, aka Papa Sauce, of Livingston, Montana, passed away on May 16th at his home, surrounded by his family, after a brave fight with liver cancer. 

He is lovingly remembered by his children: Bryan Parker (Michael Au) of Seattle, WA; James Parker (Carisa Parker; children Calista, Shane, and Silas) of Inkom, ID; Kristi Reed (Greg Reed; children Leon and Paloma) of Emigrant, MT; and Joey Parker (Carlos, and their dog Oliver) of New York City, NY. He is also survived by his brother, Michael Parker (Mary Parker).

Dennis was born on May 1st, 1951, in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles California, to Lillian and Robert Parker. He and his brother Michael spent their childhood roaming the neighborhood, often visiting relatives. He fondly recalled the smell of his grandmothers’ cooking greeting him before he even arrived at their houses. During his school years, he enjoyed playing baseball and football and collecting baseball cards.

After attending high school in Carpinteria, CA, and graduating from Buena Vista in Ventura, CA, Dennis enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He served as a medic stationed on Guam, where he developed a lifelong love for the blues—often riding his motorcycle with his best friend Steve, to hunt down new records during their free time.

Following his military service, Dennis pursued studies at colleges in Santa Barbara and Ventura, earning a degree in Respiratory Therapy. He went on to work at Community Hospital in Ventura, where he was known for his natural warmth and humor. He often spoke of life as poetry and art, even finding joy in the flavor of cafeteria coffee or the hospital’s infamous chicken.

It was at the hospital that he met his first wife, Elizabeth Sadecki. They were married in 1979 and later divorced in 1984. Together they had two sons, Bryan and James “Jimmy”, and raised them around family in Ventura and Santa Barbara.

In 1988, Dennis met the love of his life, Jodi Dee Garst, while working at the hospital in Ventura. They married and built a life together in Ventura, welcoming two more children, Kristi and Joey. In 1992, the family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho. Though illness forced him to retire in the mid-1990s, Dennis found fulfillment in the small, joyful moments of family life—taking walks in the park with his beloved bulldogs, cheering on his kids at softball and volleyball games, supporting their creative and professional pursuits, and grilling the world’s greatest chicken when family gathered. All the while, he quietly kept writing and drawing in notebooks stashed beside his recliner.

In 2019, Dennis and Jodi moved to Livingston, Montana, to be closer to family. There, he found joy in being around the mountains, the company of his corgis, watching ospreys play, visiting the local record shop, and sharing family and California history. In 2021, he lost Jodi to lung cancer, after which his attention turned to his grandchildren—perfecting his signature chumaco squeeze.

Dennis will be laid to rest beside Jodi at Mountain View Cemetery in Livingston.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Jodi Dee Parker; his mother, Lillian Parker; and his father, Robert Parker.

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Franzen-Davis Funeral Home has been honored to care for Dennis and his family.