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Robert Parks Jr.: Of Home and Home Runs

Robert Parks Jr. was called the sports trivia specialist on Wall Street. "He had an unbelievable memory if you ever wanted to know who had the first home run or who was the first guy to get the Triple Crown," said his younger sister, Carol Parks Clancy. And though his mind simply brimmed with facts about sports, he was also no slouch on the movement of the stock market since 1929.

He was a bonds broker at Cantor Fitzgerald in 1 World Trade Center, and liked the energy of New York City. But he was really a homebody. At 47, he was the married father of two teenagers. He was content to barbecue burgers on the pool deck of his home in Middletown, N.J. His enthusiasm for sports played out through his children. His 16-year-old daughter, Bridgette, is a big swimmer, and he would go to her meets, checking out her times. He was also a coach for the basketball team of his 14-year-old son, Kevin. He himself had played high school varsity basketball and football at St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City.

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From "Profiles in Grief" of The New York Times