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'Now Dad's Happy,' Parke's Widow Says Of McCain Visit

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JERRY LOFSTROM

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 29, 2008

PLANT CITY - Excitement filled the air and expectations mounted as the crowd of more than 200 people gathered at Parkesdale Farm Market awaiting the arrival of Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his wife, Cindy.

With cameras in hand, the gathering crowd stood for more than an hour under a cloudy sky waiting to get a look, a picture, a handshake from the man they hope will become the next president of the United States.

Then it happened.

The thunder of a motorcade rumble could be heard in the distance as the flashing lights of the police motorcycle escort came into view on U.S. 92; four campaign buses came to a halt at the market just west of the Florida Strawberry Festival grounds.

The sign on the side of one bus read, "Straight Talk Express." It's the sort of slogan you might expect from a politician. And sure enough, this bus was carrying McCain.

McCain was met by market owner Jim Meeks.

McCain, his wife and Gov. Charlie Crist were escorted by a cadre of Secret Service agents to the awaiting crowd, and for good reason.

In the years since the assassinations of President John Kennedy, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, fear of an assassin has come to haunt our political figures and the American people. The neighborhood surrounding Parkesdale Farm Market was locked down, streets were closed and cops were everywhere.

Secret Service agents shadowed McCain as he moved about stiffly greeting supporters, his war injuries still evident. .

Amid a throng of reporters and cameras, McCain sat with a group of small-business people in a place in the market called the "Garden of

Eatin"and ate some of the best strawberry shortcake Plant City has to offer.

As a tribute to McCain, the Parke family presented him with a treasured gift from Plant City: the first two packages of strawberries to come out of its fields this season; picked fresh that morning from Parkesdale's hydroponic farm.

As McCain readied to board his campaign bus, I couldn't help but think about the late Roy Parke - patriarch of the strawberry empire that includes the market - and the importance of redemption.

I'd better explain.

Roy Parke, who died in June, could always be counted on as a strong Republican advocate. His daughter Sandee Sytsma said her father was proud of his political party and worked hard and long and contributed much to get many of its members elected to public office.

According to family members, Parke had rubbed shoulders with the likes of President George Bush and first lady Barbara, President George W. Bush and first lady Laura, and former U.S. Rep. Mike Bilirakis and wife Evelyn.

Asked what Roy Parke would have thought of Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama and his Aug. 1 visit to Parkesdale Farm Market, Sytsma said, "He would have treated Obama with respect. When Democratic presidential candidate Jessie Jackson visited the strawberry festival some years ago, Dad was his host for the day. I can't think of one topic those two might have agreed on, but Dad was a gracious host and made sure he was treated well and had a nice experience at the festival.

"But it was a long day for Dad"

It wouldn't have been that way with McCain.

"Dad would have been thrilled today with Sen. John McCain's visit to the market. He would have pulled out all the stops and rolled out the red carpet," Sytsma said. "Since Dad fought in WW II, he would have been very moved and humbled to be in the presence of McCain, a prisoner of war."

"Now Dad's happy" said Helen Parke, Roy's wife of 65 years.

Correspondent Jerry Lofstrom can be reached at jdlmcl@aol.com.

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