Shayne Parker, owner of vintage retail shop Dead People’s Things, died on Sept. 15. He was 35 years old.
Parker was a longtime seller at the Nashville Flea Market, well-known for his Dead People’s Things camper, which often caught the eye of folks who wandered over just to chat. Parker's friend John Baker, a fellow vintage and antiques dealer, helped convince him to open his brick-and-mortar shops in Millersville and Goodlettsville. Parker long had the idea to open up a shop, but Baker pushed him to go beyond selling at the flea market with his camper.
“We met at the flea market, and he was just such a funny and smart guy,” Baker says. “He had kind of a gruff exterior, but anyone who became his friend was his friend for life. He would just do anything for you.”
Parker, who was from White House, gravitated toward all things dark: He liked skulls, swords and occult items.
“Today I’m looking through these three storage units I just bought,” Baker says. “I’m just going: ‘You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?’ It’s all this stuff that Shayne just would’ve loved.”
Parker, who was vaccinated against COVID-19, died roughly a week after recovering from the illness. He had previously suffered some health problems, including seizures, before contracting the virus, and he died overnight on Sept. 15. Parker’s sister Kelley Nelson tells the Scene he was still feeling exhausted from having the illness.
Nelson says her brother started collecting things when he was really young, picking up items on his grandfather's 175-acre farm near White House.
“At first he loved the old bottles,” Nelson says. “He knew about history, and loved to tell you random facts. He didn’t do well in school because he didn’t give a shit, but he was really smart.”
Parker took on many jobs in his short lifetime: He got a certificate for welding. He drove an 18-wheeler for a while. He worked on airplanes, installed cable TV and learned to tattoo. But he loved nothing more than running his shop. Nelson says a central factor in shaping Parker's personality was the stark difference between his religious, conservative grandfather and their “wild ass” father, who drank all the time and died by suicide.
“Shayne was very genuine,” Nelson says. “That combination from our grandfather and father just made him into someone who would accept anyone as they were. I felt he had the rare capability to understand anyone, to be open-minded.”
Nelson says Parker wasn’t an average business owner. He had rules about his shop and how people could act there. “If someone came and said something wrong or racist or homophobic, he’d be like: ‘You’re not my fucking customer, get out of here.’”
Parker’s family says in order to honor his wishes, they won’t have a funeral.
“Please honor his memory by supporting each other and extending your circles to include others from all walks of life,” reads an obituary from the family. “In lieu of flowers and/or gifts, please be good to each other, complete random acts of kindness, or donate to a charity of your choice.”
Parker’s shop in Goodlettsville will close after a sale this weekend: Saturday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
People can drop in and pay their respects by buying a beloved dead person’s things.
