Jim and Valorie Parker
Jim and Val first met at BYU Provo in January 1987 when they were assigned to the same family home evening group! They were engaged by June and then sealed together in the Provo, Utah temple in December 1987. Jim graduated in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from BYU Provo in December 1988 and Val graduated shortly thereafter with an Elementary Education degree in 1989. Soon after graduation, they headed to Davis, California where Jim continued his studies in Electrical Engineering—ultimately graduating with a PhD in 1995. During their time at Davis, they welcomed four children into their family! Their first (and only) son at the start of their graduate studies, a daughter, arrived after completion of a Master’s Degree, and finally, twin daughters were born just prior to the completion of Jim’s doctorate work. Needless to say, everyone was excited to move from their tiny, 600-square-foot on-campus apartment to a huge (1100 square feet!) 3-bedroom apartment when Jim was offered his first job in the Sacramento, California area.
In 2001, Jim and Val moved from Sacramento to Beaverton, Oregon, where they have lived ever since. They have loved raising their family in Oregon and even love all the rain—although that took some time to get used to! After nearly 30 years working in the electronics industry, Jim retired in 2021 so he and Val could spend more time with their four grandchildren and with each other. They love to hike, kayak, do puzzles, ride horses, travel, and spend time with friends and family—especially with grandchildren. They have enjoyed many years of church service, most recently working with the young single adults in their stake and region.
BYUI holds a special place in their hearts because Val spent time in Rexburg at BYUI (formally Rick’s College), and two of their daughters and one son-in-law graduated from BYUI. They look forward to helping BYUI students with their internship and career plans.
In 2001, Jim and Val moved from Sacramento to Beaverton, Oregon, where they have lived ever since. They have loved raising their family in Oregon and even love all the rain—although that took some time to get used to! After nearly 30 years working in the electronics industry, Jim retired in 2021 so he and Val could spend more time with their four grandchildren and with each other. They love to hike, kayak, do puzzles, ride horses, travel, and spend time with friends and family—especially with grandchildren. They have enjoyed many years of church service, most recently working with the young single adults in their stake and region.
BYUI holds a special place in their hearts because Val spent time in Rexburg at BYUI (formally Rick’s College), and two of their daughters and one son-in-law graduated from BYUI. They look forward to helping BYUI students with their internship and career plans.
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