08/31/2026
It was over 5 years ago that “Mr. Parker” walked into my Pilates studio to request 2 sessions per week. Mr. Parker wasn’t the average Pilates client but he knew his stuff! He had prior experience with the reformer and I learned he also had some ballet experience (one of the many stories he shared over the time we worked together).
Always 10 minutes early and never missing a session, Mr. Parker gained considerable strength and balance as he overcame some of the residual weaknesses following some serious injuries. He was dedicated, diligent and determined.
When I wasn’t “torturing” him with the Pilates programming, Mr. Parker shared many stories of his life experiences and I looked forward to them! I grew up a few blocks from his high school,La Salle Academy, so we compared our neighborhood experiences. I learned about his army days, how he met Liz, heard the tales of the NYPD era and his SNL days. Always excited about holiday visits or parties with his family, Mr. Parker would tell me how much he loved sitting back and observing the great nieces and nephews and admiring how they’ve grown. I’m sure there are so many loving tales of Uncle Jack.
Although Pilates was the foundation, we learned a lot about each other in between the exercise (aka torture). I will miss our Tuesdays and Fridays together very much. Thanks, Mr. Parker, for being you!
