Frances “Fran” Louise Parks, 87, of Mountain Lake Park, Md., passed away Saturday, October 4, 2025.
Fran was born July 2, 1938, to John “Hatsy” Anthony Mundorff and Frances Louise Mundorff in New York, N.Y.
After her mother’s death when she was 7 months old, Fran was raised by her father. For grammar school, she attended boarding school at St. Vincent DePaul in North Tarrytown, N.Y.
Fran was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 11, and at the age of 13, instead of facing surgery, spent a year in the children’s ward of Blythedale Hospital (in Valhalla, N.Y.) in a traction device. Some small improvements were seen at this time.
She chose to continue her education at Briarcliff High School near her home in Valhalla, with the hope of graduating early and continuing on to nursing school. In high school she played intramural softball, basketball, volleyball, field hockey, and enjoyed swimming. She loved movies and sports.
Soon after high school, she married her first husband, Lee, who she knew from Briarcliff High School. Lee joined the Army, and they moved to many states in the U.S. including Alabama, Georgia, Texas, New Jersey, and California.
Fran worked as a nurse’s aide at 16 years old, and later worked in the accounting office at AT&T in White Plains, N.Y. She spent several years as a nursing home manager in California and as a quality assurance coordinator for Huntington Memorial hospital in California. She also spent many years raising her daughter, LeAnne and son, Tommy.
Fran was preceded in death by her parents: father, John “Hatsy” Anthony Mundorff and Frances Louise Mundorff in New York, N.Y; her son, Thomas John Hatfield; her first husband, Louis “Lee” Ledeliey Hatfield; and her second husband, Harold “H.P.” Willis Parks.
Fran is survived by her daughter, LeAnne Frances Hatfield; her grandchildren, Aislinn Maye Barr, Thomas Cory Hatfield, John D. Hatfield; three great- grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren; her stepchildren, Terry Pridgett, Mark Parks, David Parks and James Parks; many nieces and nephews; and a cousin, Patricia Joanne Hart.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, October 9, in St. Edward Catholic Church, with Father Dominic Athishu as celebrant. Inurnment will follow at the Terra Alta Cemetery, and then a luncheon at Terra Alta Funeral Home, 1112 W. State Avenue, Terra Alta, will be held in her honor.
Terra Alta Funeral Home is honored to serve the Parks family.
