Parker recognized with Volunteer Achievement Award
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Jack Parker was presented a Volunteer Achievement Award on July 11 by the Town of Tillsonburg in the Council chambers.
Introduced by Councillor Brian Stephenson, who nominated him, Parker was presented the award by Mayor Stephen Molnar. Parker gave a brief but touching speech about the importance of volunteers and service clubs in town.
Parker's list of accomplishments since he arrived in Tillsonburg in 1965 as a teacher, head of the science department at Glendale HS, is a long one. He later became vice-principal and principal at Glendale, Annandale and other Oxford county high schools.
Parker was a Cub leader at St. John's Anglican Church... He joined the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg in 1967, was president three times, spearheaded the present Rotary Tillsonburg Outdoor Fitness Equipment Project, and is an avid seller of Rotary Trip of the Month tickets... He is a board member and chairman of the Tillsonburg Senior Centre, and author of the slogan 'Be Happy, Be Healthy, Be Here'... He has been producer/manager of the Senior Centre Singers since 1995... He hosted a call-in show on Rogers in Tillsonburg... He is former chairperson of St. Mary's Vietnamese Boat People Committee (1979) and is presently on St. Mary's Syrian Family Committee as education chairperson... Member of Oxford Senior Advisory Committee (senior housing)... He volunteers at mass at nursing homes (with wife Rachel as pianist).
A golfer and avid curler until a stroke, Parker "is a good dear caring friend to many," says wife Rachel, "and also a great husband and support, a great dad to Ken, David, and Stephanie, and a great-grandpa to seven grandchildren."