JOAN NANCY PARKER

1947 - 2021

Joan Nancy Parker, Age 73 of Medford, MA died of cancer on Jan. 21, 2021. Daughter of Alice and Bill Schaefer, she is survived by her husband John Wooding, her dear twin sister Judy Deichler, her brother JD Schaefer, her nieces Jacquelyn and Joelle Pannullo, her nephews Justin and Jeff Pannullo, and her dogs Opie and Jack. She planted dozens of beautiful gardens and spread the love of plants among many people. Born in 1947 in Lima, Peru, Joan grew up in North Africa, Latin America, and New York as her family moved. She graduated from Cornell University, coordinated education programs on occupational safety and health for Cornell's School of Labor and Industrial Relations and researched chemical hazards at the University's Science, Technology and Society Program. This work drove her interest in protecting workers from workplace hazards and she moved to Boston for graduate study at the Harvard School of Public Health, Industrial Hygiene Program, gaining a Master's degree. There she met friends with whom she shared a dedication and commitment to establishing social justice for all working peoples' rights and health and safety.

Joan worked for many years at the Massachusetts Department Labor and Industries, Division of Occupational Hygiene. She led a precedent-setting case that ended decades of toxic pollution that sickened employees at Bay State Smelting in Somerville. For the first time in the state, an employer was criminally charged for endangering the lives of workers and community residents. Joan's work with workplace and community health leaders brought justice to the lead poisoned workers, their families, and the community. In 1995 Joan was appointed Director of the Division of Occupational Safety, then under the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. Joan led the investigation into the deaths of two tunnel workers on the Deer Island outflow tunnel project. In the book about this case "Trapped Under the Sea," author Neil Swidey wrote of Joan, "Though it was true that Parker was a bit of a bohemian, she had a real toughness to her. She drove around in a stick shift Ford pick-up with no air-conditioning and a big shaggy mutt riding with his head out the passenger window. The only sticker on the truck's bumper reads: MY DOG CAN LICK ANYONE." 

Joan was a tireless worker advocate, gave numerous conference presentations locally and abroad, prepared and presented testimony at state and federal hearings on hazard communication, and advocated for strengthening child labor laws. She served as President of the American Industrial Hygiene Association's New England Section and on numerous advisory boards.

After retiring from state service Joan concentrated on her lifelong love of plants. She became certified as a Principal Master Gardener by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, established a small landscape and restoration business, and taught and mentored would-be gardeners. She volunteered for many years at the Medford Unitarian Church Food Pantry and led a project to create an organic vegetable garden for the pantry. She helped start, organize, and run the Winthrop Street Medford Community Garden. Joan was a lifelong advocate for worker rights. She was fierce and funny and passionate about all she did. She loved walking in the woods with her dogs, being in nature and helping the bad guys get their due. She will be dearly missed. No memorial ceremony is planned at this time.

 
Joan’s Grove

A memorial for Joan Parker

After a career spent advocating for safe working environments, Joan became an educator and a Master Gardener who generously shared her knowledge and love of gardening with fellow gardeners. 

Joan was the key person behind the creation of the Food Pantry Vegetable Garden at the UU Church in Medford. She believed that food pantry users should be able to access fresh local organic produce, and that interested volunteers should be able to learn to grow their own. This project has brought together people from many different communities that reflect the wide impact Joan had in her life.

The pantry garden community is creating a memorial space in Joan’s honor: Joan’s Grove. It will be located next to the vegetable garden that she nurtured and will be a space for the community to gather, meet, or rest. It is being designed and built by her fellow gardeners, and it will feature benches, a wood chip path, and plantings chosen to reflect Joan’s gardening philosophy.

Contributions (not tax-deductible) may be made by check, payable to “Joan’s Grove”, and sent to Cindy Bortman Boggess, 55 Cedar Road, Medford, MA 02155.

Donations in Joan's memory may also be made to: Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary: https://www.winslowfarm.com/ Mill City Grows: https://www.millcitygrows.org/ Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health: http://www.masscosh.org/ Planting a tree in Joan's memory would be lovely.

Jesse Delaurier "Old Memories"

Greg's son, Jesse, on hearing of Joan's cancer diagnosis in 2017, wrote and publically performed a song for her in Melrose.  He was just 13 years old.  Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTZ_QSio1qU