James "Jim" Arthur Parke

Seneca, S.C.- James "Jim" Arthur Parke, 72, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018.

A memorial service will be planned to celebrate his life.

Jim was born to Audrey and Arthur Parke in Glasgow, Mont., on Nov. 18, 1945. During his childhood, he was active with the Boy Scouts and earned the Eagle Scout Award. He was a 1964 graduate of Glasgow High School where he was co-captain of the football team and the Montana governor of Key Club. He then attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where he was the student body president and graduated in 1968 with a triple major in history, political science and economics.

Following graduation, he joined General Electric's Financial Management Program and built a career in finance with leadership roles on the GE Corporate Audit Staff as chief financial officer of the GE Lighting, GE Aircraft Engines and GE Capital businesses. He was a well-respected business partner with an incredible financial mindset and passion for growth and excellence. He valued the development of others and was a genuine, insightful mentor dedicated to building a world-class finance team. In 2005, after a 37-year career, he retired from GE as vice chairman and chief financial officer of GE Capital Services and senior vice president of General Electric Company. In retirement, he continued to maintain a professional connection serving on the Board of Directors of Genworth Financial.

His generous nature was as profound as his business career. He served as a director of First Community Bancorp in Glasgow, where his father and his wife, Marilyn, had worked. He was an early and avid supporter of the not-for-profit build-on and has served on the Board since the organization's founding over 25 years ago.

He actively supported his alma mater. He served as a member of Concordia College's Investment Committee, assisted in the further innovation of its business program, and was integral in the creation of the Parke Student Leadership Center and the James Parke Technology Center. In May 2017, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Concordia College. He supported numerous other organizations with his wisdom, time and financial resources.

He had an adventurous spirit and loved to travel. He was an expert skier and watching him ski his favorite run, Stein's Way, you realized he had one speed: fast. He inspired others with his determination to accomplish anything he set his mind to. He was a natural leader and one of the patriarchs of the Parke family, quietly encouraging others to pursue their passion and success.

He and his wife, Marilyn, resided in Lake Keowee, S.C., and Deer Valley, Utah.

He was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Parke; his mother, Audrey Parke of Glasgow; his first wife, Shirley; and one sister, Ardis Fuhrman of Fargo, N.D.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn, of Seneca, S.C .; Marilyn's two daughters: Kim Gillies and her husband, Mark, of Moose Jaw, Sask., and Jana Jackson of Aiken, S.C .; a brother-in-law, Dennis Fuhrman of Sarasota, Fla .; a niece, Dacia Gonzales and her husband, Robert, of Houston, Texas; two nephews, Brett Fuhrman and his wife, Karen, of Asheville, N.C. and Trevor Fuhrman and his wife, Lauren, of Denver, Colo .; Marilyn's four grandchildren: Connor, Camryn, Cole and Brock; five grandnephews and grandnieces: Alexander, Hannah, William, Andrew and Audrey; and many beloved cousins.

Donations can be made on Jim's behalf to the Glasgow High School Educational Trust, Jeanine Markle, CEO, 904 Wedum Drive, Glasgow, MT 59230.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting http://www.davenportfuneralhome.com.

Davenport Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements, phone 864-638-3611 or http://www.davenportfuneralhome.com or email:[email protected].