When Jack’s family was starting to organise the celebrations for Jack’s forthcoming one hundredth birthday they asked him what he really wanted to do to celebrate. He answered quickly by saying: “I want to go back to the RNLI lifeboat station at Rye Harbour.”
For both Jack’s ninety-eighth and ninety-ninth birthdays the answer to the question about how to celebrate had been the same – a visit to his favourite lifeboat station, and visit he did, receiving a brilliant welcome from the volunteer crew. In 2021 by chance three lifeboats were training together on the river and Jack was thrilled to see them.
Jack David Parker was born in Redhill in April 1923 and has lived his life giving to others. He was in the Royal Navy for five years during the second world war and always loved the sea. He was a butcher for forty-five years and on retirement worked as a volunteer in a charity shop near to his home in Reigate.
His voice was well-known on Radio Redhill playing hospital requests, announcing fêtes and plugging functions. He worked as DJ in numerous day-centres and was always a ray of sunshine to all those who met him.
He certainly brought sunshine to the station when he visited on Sunday, April 30 and made a donation to the charity. He was happy to tell the crew that he had been raising funds for the RNLI for over sixty years and intends to carry on. His philosophy owes much to Henry Ford: “To do more for the world than the world does for you…that is success.” The crew all sang Happy Birthday to him and he was so pleased.
As he left the station he said: “Thank you for the best birthday present and see you next year.” RNLI Rye Harbour certainly hopes that it will.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .