

Tribute to David Parry founder of the
Open Door Centre

David Parry who sadly died in February 2024, was the founder of the Open Door Centre. Church leaders paid tribute to his achievement in establishing a meeting point for all ages and groups in High Barnet for which the local community would “be forever in his debt”. David was a long-time resident of Byng Road, having moved to Newbury 18 months ago with his wife Jill to be nearer other family members.
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His funeral service at St Nicholas Church, Newbury, was relayed by a live stream to the Open Door Centre for the benefit of church members, former colleagues, and friends in Barnet. Tributes to their father were led by his two daughters and son. Rachel said her father placed service to the community at the heart of his life. He had a deep calling and was always active in lay ministry.
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David's leadership of the John Trotter Trust that had initiated the “amazing” Open Door Centre reflected his determination to ensure that his voluntary work had an impact in his local community, nationally and internationally.
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Its success had brought him great joy, a project that had won two London Borough of Barnet civic awards for outstanding service to the community.
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Voluntary service was a thread throughout the family’s time in High Barnet. He had been a school governor and contributed to the work of Barnet Health Authority, Barnet Probus, and the Alzheimer’s Society.
Jonathan said his father was born in South Wales, the son of a minister. His mother was a midwife. He had remained a proud Welshman at heart and had been an active member or conductor of Welsh choirs wherever he had lived.
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After teaching in Birmingham in the 1960s, Mr Parry and his wife left in 1972 to become missionaries in Papua and New Guinea where they lived for 12 years and where he was a member of a permanent commission for higher education.
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In 1990 he started a long association with the Leprosy Mission becoming chair in 1995 and then chair of Leprosy Mission International for a further four years.
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David represented the mission at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, who had been such a strong supporter of the fight against leprosy. Peter Waddup, the mission’s chief executive officer in England and Wales gave one of the readings.
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On returning to the UK, David worked on the governance of higher education institutions both in this country and internationally, and he assisted many colleges and universities.
Roger Brown who worked with David for 14 years on the Higher Education Qualifications Council, and later at Solent University in Southampton, said his former colleague made many friends as he combined “cleverness with niceness” and a dry sense of humour.
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His cancer diagnosis a year ago had come as a terrible shock to the family. Judy said her father had been determined to celebrate his 55th wedding anniversary with his wife Jill, their three children, and six grandchildren.
One of his great interests was church architecture and his love of St Albans Cathedral had led him in the final months of his life to work towards the St Albans certificate in theology.
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Jonathan said that latterly his father had become a Freeman of the City of London, and the livery of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators was draped on his coffin.