Mourners remember Parker, Temple Academy’s late principal, as a disciplinarian with high academic standards

The late Dinesen Parker is being remembered by his faculty as a hard worker and dedicated principal, following the discovery of his body in a classroom at the St. John’s Temple Academy on Grays Crescent off Kentish Road.

Reports say that a member of staff discovered Parker’s body at about 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1.  Following the grim find, students were sent home and all classes have been cancelled until further notice.

The Police were called to the scene to conduct investigations, and Parker was pronounced dead in the early afternoon hours by a medical doctor.

His body was removed to a funeral parlour, and a post-mortem examination will later be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

Reports say that Parker, who has been described as a stern disciplinarian who excelled in mathematics, had complained about feeling unwell on Monday, February 28, and visited a doctor at the hospital.

However, he is said to have returned to the school later that afternoon and continued to work.

Reportedly, Parker was accustomed to staying late into the evening, preparing lesson plans.  Sources say he would even return there some nights and stay from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. to ensure the premises were secure from intruders.

The late principal is said to have held high academic standards and always pushed for the best from his students and teachers. 

During his career, Parker served in the government-school system as a teacher and, later, as the principal of a primary school. 

After he retired from the public service, he entered the private system and later became principal of Temple Academy, a small education institution, reportedly with fewer than 100 students.

Meanwhile, Director of Education Clare Browne says the Ministry of Education is greatly saddened to learn of the passing of this veteran, who had dedicated his entire life to education.