A fierce champion for diversity and an ambitious visionary, TCU Trustee Ronald C. Parker was always and foremost a Horned Frog.

His death at the age of 70 was sudden, announced across TCU platforms and other news sites throughout this week. He died at his home in Plano, Texas.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Trustee Ronald C. Parker ’76, who led with compassion and profoundly impacted TCU,” the university wrote. “As a former Horned Frog football captain, Ron’s leadership at TCU continued far past his time as a student.”

Parker graduated from TCU in 1976 with a BA in political science. In 1978, he served as the assistant athletic director for two years. Twenty-one years later, he joined the TCU Board of Trustees.

Near the end of his almost 24-year tenure as a trustee, he co-chaired the Lead On: A Campaign for TCU, an ambitious effort to raise $1 billion for the university’s endowment. 

In an interview supporting the campaign, Parker spoke about his time as a student: “I got to really discover ‘me’ while I was here.” 

Crediting TCU for being a “progressive university,” even in 1976, Parker said he tried to promote diversity of thought, superseding racial and gender divisions.

He said his goal with the Lead On campaign was to give every student the same opportunity that he had through his football scholarship – an opportunity “to fully engage in learning and experiencing college life that builds upon their professional life.”

“It’s a tough blow to lose one of our biggest cheerleaders and most generous (in all senses of the word) friends,” David Nolan, the associate vice chancellor for development & campaign director at TCU, wrote in a comment on LinkedIn. “While we mourn the loss we have much to remember and celebrate. Amazing example of a life well lived!”

Before serving as a board member at TCU and other health and education organizations including Procter & Gamble and The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, Parker served as a business executive across nearly 10 companies, his most impressive tenure being with PepsiCo. There, he spearheaded the PepsiCo Global Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

“Ron was a great leader that saw the best in everyone,” former PepsiCo executive Paul Zmigrosky wrote in a comment on LinkedIn. “He will truly be missed.”

Parker is survived by his wife Paula, who he met at TCU, and three children, two of whom are also TCU graduates.