Bronza M. "Bronzie" Parks (died May 13, 1958) was an American boatbuilder from

Wingate Wingate may refer to: Places New Zealand * Wingate, New Zealand, a suburb of Lower Hutt United Kingdom * Wingate, County Durham * Wingate Quarry, a Site of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham * Old Wingate, County Durham * Wingate ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. Parks was the last builder of

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

skipjack sailing vessels.

Personal life

Parks was married to Katie Lewis with whom he had five daughters: Irene, Joyce, Lucille, Martha, and Mary. At the time of his death in 1958, Parks was a candidate for Dorchester County commissioner and president of the Lakes-Straits Fire Department.

Boatbuilding

Parks began building boats at the age of 16 and completed more than 400 vessels during his career. He built his first skipjack, the ''Wilma Lee'', in 1940. The last three skipjacks that Parks completed were the '' Rosie Parks'' and the '' Martha Lewis'' in 1955 and the ''Lady Katie'' in 1956.

Death

In 1958, Parks was working on an skipjack-style sailboat for Willis C. Rowe of

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially Unincorporated area, unincorporated, it is an edge city with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 ...

. During a confrontation with Parks on May 13, 1958, regarding the cost of the project Rowe shot the boatbuilder three times killing him. Rowe was eventually convicted of

second degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, ...

and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parks, Bronza 1958 deaths American boat builders Year of birth missing Deaths by firearm in Maryland People from Dorchester County, Maryland People murdered in Maryland Skipjacks American murder victims People murdered in 1958