R.I.P. Parker Clack, founder of Home Theater Forum (1 Viewer)

[Sam Favate]

So very sorry to hear about this. He helped create HTF, which so many of us love dearly. We all owe him a debt. Rest in peace.

Beautifully written, Ron. Thank you for the heartfelt remembrance.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I'm very sorry to hear this. Unfortunately, I don't think I ever interacted with Parker directly, so I have no memories to offer. But I certainly use the forum all the time, and spending time here has added significantly to my life. Fortunately, the great community he built will continue to live on. May he rest in peace.

 

[JimJasper]

Deepest sympathies to all who knew him. Very sad news, especially re how young he was. He probably blessed and helped many throughout his nursing career as well. Appreciate the notice and write up, Ron, & sharing the thoughtful pictures.

 

[Charles Smith]

RIP Parker Clack, who I never knew but this news is a shock nonetheless.

I will be always grateful for his pioneering work here and for its influence on me and others.

Thank you, Ron, for posting a fine tribute.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

May he rest in eternal peace. A lovely tribute, Ron, for a man who lived a life in care of others (through his nursing career) and a life of personal passion which helped create this space we all adore.

Heartbreaking to see this news today. May we celebrate his life and honor his memory!

 

[BobO'Link]

Very well written tribute, Ron.

I don't know that I ever had any interaction with Parker but his loss makes me sad nonetheless. My sympathies go out to his family and friends.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Rest in Peace, Parker. We never engaged on this forum you helped found, build, and nurture, but I appreciate that hard work and commitment all the same. HTF has been an important part of my life since I discovered it in 2001.

Wonderful tribute, Ron.

 

[Vegas 1]

R.I.P. Parker

 

[Jeff Whitford]

RIP Parker. The forum you and Ron started helped mold my career and the information gained here improved my life. Please introduce yourself when I get there

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

This is sad. Parker and I mostly just chatted humorous topics around here, nothing serious. I get brought up emotionally when people younger than me pass away.

I got involved in high fidelity audio in the early 1970s and with video projection systems for the US military in the early 1980s. Back then an Electrohome CRT projector cost about $50K.

Later on I went back to law school and became a patent attorney. When I started writing patent applications for Sony in the fields of audio and video I had to quickly learn what the state of the art was, which led me to HTF 27 years ago.

Edit I checked and my last chat with Parker was more serious about Thorium reactor power plants.

 

[Dick]

Sometimes, unlikely people become poets. You did with that post, Ron. I wish I had known the man. When I first joined 26 years ago, I became familiar with the name, but you have fleshed him out for me. Thank you for putting a proverbial face on a terrific-sounding guy. I wish you well, sir.

 

[Nelson Au]

I’m very sorry to hear about the loss of Parker. My condolences to Ron and to Parker’s family.

 

[Jeff F.]

Sending my condolences to Parker, his family and friends.

 

[Tino]

Rip Mr Clack. Along with @Ronald Epstein true pioneers in this medium.

 

[Museum Pieces]

I never met him in person, but my brother-in-law knew him as an acquaintance. Said they crossed paths at Paramount. Parker inspired him with his passion.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Parker Clack passed away at age 68 on March 8, 2025

https://www.millardfamilychapels.com/obituaries/Parker-D-Clack?obId=39746431

Oh no!

I knew his financial situation had been precarious since his health issues forced him to retire before he'd planned back in 2019. When you shared the GoFundMe for Susan's funeral arrangements back in November, I wondered how he was getting along. I believe Packy's daughter is in her mid-twenties now. I can't imagine losing both parents so relatively young in such a short span of time.

Damn, the end of an era. Very nice tribute Ron. I will miss him but am thankful for the community you two built for us

Very much agreed. I will always have enormous gratitude to both men for the community they've created here, which has been part of my life for nearly a quarter of a century now.

 

[Steve Christou]

RIP Parker Clack. I just saw this post turn up in my mail and I froze. I don't post much these days. I'm an old geezer now.

Parker took me under his wing when I first joined the HTF in 2000. I was forum-shy, stupid, made mistakes, nearly got myself banned a few times. Parker rescued me and kept me on. We shared some of the same interests including. most importantly. a zany sense of humour. Not really being a forum sort of person I never expected to last here at the HTF. Parker made it a joy to post here, and for a while it was like a second home for me. Rest in peace my friend.

 

[Dave Hahn]

Very sorry to hear this. Parker was instrumental to HTF and a great guy.

 

[ekelks]

Parker Clack passed away at age 68 on March 8, 2025

https://www.millardfamilychapels.com/obituaries/Parker-D-Clack?obId=39746431

This news came as a complete surprise to me, just like it has to all of you. I didn’t learn about his passing until earlier today. I need to thank HTF member @LDfan for bringing it to my attention. He was merely looking up old acquaintances from HTF and stumbled upon Parker's obituary.

The last time I spoke with Parker was on the phone in November, shortly after the passing of his wife, Susan. At that time, he didn’t sound like he was in good health. If I had been more attentive to the conversation and the things he was saying, I would have realized that it would be our last.

It’s heartbreaking, and the fact that it took two months for us to receive the news is truly disheartening.

I find myself in the position of having to deliver this news to all of you, and quite frankly, I suck at these kind of things, but allow me to speak from the heart...

Parker Clack was the most important person to ever come into my life.

I met him on one of the early online services where I created a chat room devoted to Home Theater. He and I immediately became friends. A year later, around 1995, when the Internet came to fruition, he told me he could put our little group on the Internet. While some could say I was the "face" of Home Theater Forum, Parker's exceptional skills were solely responsible for putting Home Theater Forum on the map. For the decade that followed, Parker worked behind the scenes, maintaining our server and keeping us afloat.

Home Theater Forum was our passion. We dedicated ourselves to its growth, sharing many hotel rooms while attending consumer electronics conventions and meeting industry people. Those years were filled with countless joyful moments. Parker was the best partner I could have ever asked for. I cherished him deeply. He was highly intelligent, incredibly kind, forever optimistic, and had a great sense of humor.

I wish I could revisit our last conversation and express my sincere gratitude to Parker for all he has done for this forum and me personally. I wouldn’t be here without him. I would have loved to tell him how much I love him. All I can say now is that he will be deeply missed.




I raced to locate some photos of Parker, only to discover old CDs that would no longer be recognized by my drive. I managed to pull a few photos from the fire:


View attachment 252258
Parker sitting on the Forrest Gump bench at Paramount Studios, early 2000s

View attachment 252260
Parker at the Scootapalooza event in NJ

View attachment 252261
Relaxing together on the HTF Cruise

View attachment 252262
Robert Fowkes, Bill Hunt, Parker Clack

View attachment 252263
Parker at the Paramount Studio Gate, early 2000s

Condolences, Ron. Very sorry for everyone's loss.

 

[ozianscott]

Parker Clack passed away at age 68 on March 8, 2025

https://www.millardfamilychapels.com/obituaries/Parker-D-Clack?obId=39746431

This news came as a complete surprise to me, just like it has to all of you. I didn’t learn about his passing until earlier today. I need to thank HTF member @LDfan for bringing it to my attention. He was merely looking up old acquaintances from HTF and stumbled upon Parker's obituary.

The last time I spoke with Parker was on the phone in November, shortly after the passing of his wife, Susan. At that time, he didn’t sound like he was in good health. If I had been more attentive to the conversation and the things he was saying, I would have realized that it would be our last.

It’s heartbreaking, and the fact that it took two months for us to receive the news is truly disheartening.

I find myself in the position of having to deliver this news to all of you, and quite frankly, I suck at these kind of things, but allow me to speak from the heart...

Parker Clack was the most important person to ever come into my life.

I met him on one of the early online services where I created a chat room devoted to Home Theater. He and I immediately became friends. A year later, around 1995, when the Internet came to fruition, he told me he could put our little group on the Internet. While some could say I was the "face" of Home Theater Forum, Parker's exceptional skills were solely responsible for putting Home Theater Forum on the map. For the decade that followed, Parker worked behind the scenes, maintaining our server and keeping us afloat.

Home Theater Forum was our passion. We dedicated ourselves to its growth, sharing many hotel rooms while attending consumer electronics conventions and meeting industry people. Those years were filled with countless joyful moments. Parker was the best partner I could have ever asked for. I cherished him deeply. He was highly intelligent, incredibly kind, forever optimistic, and had a great sense of humor.

I wish I could revisit our last conversation and express my sincere gratitude to Parker for all he has done for this forum and me personally. I wouldn’t be here without him. I would have loved to tell him how much I love him. All I can say now is that he will be deeply missed.




I raced to locate some photos of Parker, only to discover old CDs that would no longer be recognized by my drive. I managed to pull a few photos from the fire:


View attachment 252258
Parker sitting on the Forrest Gump bench at Paramount Studios, early 2000s

View attachment 252260
Parker at the Scootapalooza event in NJ

View attachment 252261
Relaxing together on the HTF Cruise

View attachment 252262
Robert Fowkes, Bill Hunt, Parker Clack

View attachment 252263
Parker at the Paramount Studio Gate, early 2000s

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this. RIP. He provided us all with such great service. I know I don't post much, but I enjoy reading the threads and learning so much from all the members. It's such a great group of knowledgeable folks whom I wouldn't have had the pleasure to read and learn from if it weren't for him. Sad news.