- Born July 23, 1932 in Puckett, Mississippi.
- Moved to Joliet, Illinois in 1954.
- Married Velma on September 4, 1974.
- Worked for National Cleaners until 1976 when he bought his first laundromat with his wife, Velma.
- They bought two more laundromats in the 1980's.
- They had two children, Druella and Allen; each have children and grandchildren from previous marriages.
- Their one grandchild was born August 1999 after Druel returned home from surgery.
- He died at home with Velma and Druella on January 5, 2000.
National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry (NFPTR)
The Parker Family is helping fight pancreatic cancer a second important way. They have joined the National Familial Pancreas Tumor Registry. Particularly important was that Druel was of African-American descent. In the United States, incidence and mortality rates from pancreatic cancer in African-Americans of both sexes are higher than in Caucasians. The participation of African-Americans in pancreatic research is critical if we are to make a difference in the battle against pancreatic cancer.
The incidence rate of pancreatic cancer in the U.S. black population is considerably higher than in any other ethnic group. The black population had an incidence rate of about 15.9 cases per 100,000 in 1996-2000, compared to about 10.8 cases per 100,000 in whites.
Black men also have the highest mortality rate followed by black women and white men. Mortality rates among U.S. blacks are higher than those among African blacks, suggesting that environmental factors are involved. Hispanics and Asians tend to have lower pancreatic cancer incidence rates than the non-Hispanic white population.