It is with great sadness that the Submarines Association of Australia advises of the passing of John Parker on the 24th of May 2026 from Parkinson's Disease.

John was born in East St Kilda Victoria on the 22nd of July 1940. He enlisted in the RAN on the 1st of February 1960 on a nine year engagement. At age 19, he already stood six feet one inch tall and he would eventually reach six feet four inches. John trained at HMAS Cerberus before posting to the Destroyer Escort HMAS Yarra in July 1961 as a EMP 2nd Class. He remained on Yarra until the end of 1963, at which time he posted to HMAS Tarangau on Manus Island.

John served on Manus until March 1965 at which time he returned to Cerberus and volunteered for submarines. He travelled to the UK in June 1965 where he undertook submarine training at HMS Dolphin in Gosport England. He was promoted to Acting LSEMP in January 1966 and confirmed in rank a year later. John qualified at sea on a Royal Navy submarine before returning to Australia in October 1967. In February 1968 John joined HMAS Oxley.

John had a long and courageous fight with Parkinson’s Disease and at the time of his death he was wheelchair bound and had lost the ability to talk. There will be no funeral as he had donated his body for medical research.

The SAA extends its sympathies to John’s family and friends