Obituary: Jenny Parker

During the 1970s, Jenny Parker was recruited to the staff of the British Psychological Society by its Business Manager, the late, Alan Sakne. After completing her family, she was unsure how well she would cope being back in employment after a break of several years.

However, very rapidly her organisational talents and other abilities were recognised and by the time I joined the society in 1980. Jenny was already the Office Manager and deputy to the Business Manager. Her responsibilities were many, including personnel recruitment and training and making sure that the Society staff – 16 in number when she joined, but more than 100 by her retirement – complied with the tasks conferred on the Society by its Royal Charter, Statutes and Rules.

Most importantly, Jenny was the Society Registrar. She had to oversee the keeping of accurate records of the many thousand psychologists registered with the society in their various grades and ensuring new membership applications were processed efficiently.

Jenny was very much a 'people person'. When appointing staff, I and others, very quickly learnt to rely on her judgement of those best suited to fulfil the requirements of the post we had advertised.

Not only did Jenny carry out her duties very faithfully and reliably, but she did so with such good grace and charm as to earn not just the respect of her colleges, but even their trust, love and affection; so much so that on her retirement a lunch club was set up by her former colleagues still in work to meet once a month with Jenny. It evolved into something of a former and existing office staff get together, but never lost its title as the 'group to meet up with Jenny'.

Jenny will be remembered with respect and affection by those who worked alongside her and with heart felt gratitude by those whose lives she enhanced by their contact with her. May she rest in peace with her devoted husband, John.

Dr Colin V Newman BSc, PhD, FBPSs, C.Psychol
Honorary Life Member BPS,
Executive Secretary 1980 to 2000.