[Harlow:] Welcome back. In the coming days, Roanoke, Virginia will lay to rest two of their own, a photographer at WDBJ television. His name is Adam Ward. He and reporter Alison Parker were out on a story Wednesday morning when their lives were cut tragically short by a gunman. The killings captured on live television left a nation stunned in horror and disbelief. Over the next few days, we saw Alison's father coming to the cameras, sometimes barely making it through an interview without breaking down. Alison's obituary, a ringing testament to the type of person she was reading in part, she loved her job and had such a bright future ahead in the field of journalism. She will be missed by everyone she touched and she lived life to the fullest in her short time on earth. Just this afternoon, in interfaith healing and memorial service was held to honor both of them. Colorful flowers have been placed with cards in front of their station WDBJ, cards offering condolences and sympathy, candles burning in honor of the fallen journalists. And it is to that end that I would like to dedicate the next 30 minutes of this show to Alison and Adam. I had the opportunity to sit down with Alison's parents earlier today. Her mother, Barbara, speaking to the national media for the first time. Here is the first part of our conversation. Thank you both so much for being with me today.
[B. Parker:] You're very welcome.
[Andy Parker, Alison Parker's Father:] Wish this were under different circumstances, but thank you.
[Harlow:] We all do. Let me begin with you, Barbara. What is your favorite memory of Alison?
[B. Parker:] Oh, there are so many. She came into the world lighting up the room that she that she walked into. And she was full of mischief. I remember one time that we thought we had her in a place that she couldn't do anything as a child, and I came in and she had found a red Magic Marker and drawn all over the coffee table in our living room and the carpet and the kitchen floor. But you couldn't be mad because this little golden girl smiling that she'd done this wonderful piece of art. And she's always been like that. She she was full of love and life, and she was a geek at heart. Which is the greatest compliment I can ever give anyone.
[Harlow:] Barbara, tell me what is your last memory of Alison? Because I know it was just her birthday, and you had just taken this amazing family trip to literally her favorite place in the world.
[B. Parker:] My last memory is on on Tuesday, I was at work. And she would always call after work on her drive home. She would call and she's always say, just checking in. And she said, "I'm so tired after that trip," because her schedule was so unusual. And on our vacation, we slept in and we laughed and we ate more than we should, and we had such a lovely time. And then she had to go back to the unusual schedule that she had. But she just she always had a smile, regardless. Regardless of the circumstance. And we I think that Alison and I had a very, very unique relationship. Unusual by any standards. If she was going shopping and she always said when I'd come up to Roanoke with her, she said, when you come up here, I end up spending money. Because we would go shopping for her wardrobe that she would wear. And I could tell her spot on what looked perfect on her and what was the right thing for her to wear and she knew it. And she respected that and would she always wanted me there when she was buying her clothes.
[Harlow:] Tell me about her drive as a journalist. Because I think all of us in the business and everyone watching, it marvels at all she achieved by age 24. What drove her?
[Andy Parker:] She just you know, I think that's just the way she came into this world. She everything that she did everything she touched, everything every activity that she picked up, she excelled at everything. I mean she you know, she wanted to be the best. I mean, she was just extremely competitive. And whatever she did and maybe she you know, maybe she got that from me, from dad. Because if I pick up a sport or if pick up an activity, and as we'll talk about later, you know, now with this mission, you know, I want to be the best. And I've always been that way. And it just sort of was instilled in her that, you know, you got at it. And you know, thankfully, she was just gifted, I mean, beyond belief
[Barbara Parker:] She was.
[Andy Parker:] She tutored calculus at James Madison University. And you know, how many journalism majors can tutor calculus? I mean, it was that kind of thing. I mean, she was an incredible athlete, she was an incredible whitewater kayaker. But she just was not satisfied with just, you know, doing something. She wanted to be the best.
[B. Parker:] She wanted to be the best. And when she set out to do something, she meant that. She she wanted to be the best and never lose a race, never mess something up, she meant it. She wanted to be the best and never lose a race, never mess something up. She wanted everything she did to be perfect, and she was driven to do that.