Dr. Parker, originally from Vienna, Illinois, was a retired veterinarian who spent most of his career with the Poultry Division of the United States Department of Agriculture. After his retirement, he moved to Florida and made Winter Haven his home. He had a love for people and carried a pad of paper with him wherever he went. When he met someone, he would write down their names and the things they would say so he could remember them later.

Although he made his money mostly by speculation, he was thrifty in the use of it and hated to see waste. He was generous to those who were truly deserving and desired for his money to be used to continue benefiting others long after his death. From this desire grew the idea of "CrossLites."