Dr. David Parker, a long-term contributing member and active participant in the SVACS Local Section, passed away in November, 2020. Dave’s obituary can be read online on the Dignity Memorial website. His obituary also appeared in the San Jose Mercury News on December 12, 2020, detailing his long-term involvement with the City of Santa Clara Fire Department HAZMAT program.
Dave’s passions within the SVACS Local Section included judging at our annual Synopsys Science Fair Championship, the South Valley Science and Engineering Fair, and the local Chemistry Olympiad competition. Accordingly, his family suggested that in lieu of flowers, people make donations to our Silicon Valley ACS Local Section to continue to support science education for children.
SVACS has received numerous generous donations, prompting it to match the donations in a newly created David Parker Fund to annually support chemistry education for children. Additional donations are welcome. Donors should send a check to the ACS Silicon Valley Section (noting purpose is for SVACS-David Parker Fund). Our address is Silicon Valley ACS Local Section, P.O. Box 395, Palo Alto CA 94302. These tax-deductible donations will be acknowledged in writing. Many thanks for considering this request!
After thoughtful deliberation, your SVACS Executive Committee created the David Parker Awards for middle school students at the local annual Synopsys Science Fair (held in San Jose each March). In March 2021, the Synopsys Science Fair was held virtually. Two local middle school students – Atharva Manjunath (6th grade) and Viraj Pandey (7th grade) – were selected as the inaugural Dave Parker Awardees. Each received recognition and a $125.00 award. Reports describing our SVACS involvement in the March 2021 Science Fair appeared in the April 2021 (page 4) and May 2021 (page 3) Silicon Valley ACS newsletters.
THE FIRST DAVE PARKER LEGACY EVENT
The SVACS Local Section is in discussion with the City of Santa Clara Fire Department to create a Dave Parker Legacy Event, where the annual Parker Awardees will have a special tour of the SCFD facilities each December and discuss the interactions of fires and chemicals. Carol Ann Parker, Dave’s wife, is pleased to take part in these events.
Submitted by Howard Peters
