The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LIVINGSTONE Parks, remembered for the sufficient role he placed in the development of softball from behind the scenes as an executive of the Bahamas Softball Federation and continued even when he demitted office, passed away on Wednesday, September 15 at Doctors Hospital.

He was 72.

Former Member of Parliament and BSF president Neko Grant, who enjoyed the past 40 years affiliated with Parks, said when he first came into office in 1975, Parks got his introduction to the administrative level as one of the vice presidents.

When he left to pursue his political career with the Free National Movement, Grant said Parks continued to work with the sport.

“I had a wonderful working relationship with all people, but Vinky was a quiet, but hard worker, who certainly contributed to the growth of softball in the Bahamas,” Grant said. “Softball at the time was quite different from existing one. Only the sacrifices we made financially and otherwise, kept softball going.”

Grant, an International Softball Federation Hall of Famer, publicly extended condolences to the family of his long-time friend Parks.

Current BSF president Ted Miller said he was shocked when he saw on television that Parks had passed away.

“He hailed from Eleuthera and he was a softballer at heart,” said Miller, whose paths also crossed as they both worked in the construction field.

“When I joined the federation back in 1994, Parks was the second vice president.

“He never gave up and so when I was the tournament director before I became the president, he would always gave me some pointers. He was a very good guy, very nice guy.”

Another former BSF president Burkett Dorsett said when he came into the administration of the sport, Parks was serving under the leadership of president Grant and deceased secretary general Greg Christie.

“He continued on supporting the federation in its trust to continue to be a force to reckon with,” Dorsett pointed out. “He remained a follower of softball and he continued to throw his support behind softball.”

Now serving as the president of the English Speaking Caribbean (ECAST), Dorsett said it’s sad to hear of his demise and he too sent his sympathy to Parks’ immediate family and his extended family in the softball community throughout the Bahamas.