Retired Captain Joel Parker passed away on August 1, 2024. She was initiated into PVAC, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated on April 18, 2009, along with her 19-line sisters of 20/20 Vision. 

​

Joel’s connection to Delta began through an act of service, on February 21, 2008, when she, and several other nurses from what was then known as the National Naval Medical Center, delivered a presentation to the young girls participating in the Delta Academy and GEMS programs. It is through that act of service that Joel fell in love with the girls, with the program,  and with Delta. She then began dedicating her life to scholarship, sisterhood, and service.  While serving on the board of the PVAC Fund, she was the first donor to the Fund’s Named Scholarship program in honor of her mother, Hattie Williams.  Appropriate to her line name “Inspiration,” her inaugural donation helped inspire additional name scholarships by others. 

​

Ever a learner and a striver, Joel earned a BS in nursing, two master’s degrees in Human Resource Management and Nursing Informatics, and an advanced graduate degree in Management Information Systems. Her scholarship earned her membership in the Sigma Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

​

Captain Joel Parker was the prototype of a servant leader, a medical superhero, and a professional life servant. Her life was an inspiration to many, and her memory will continue to inspire service and generosity in others.