PARSONS, Frank OA

BORN 13 JUNE 1931,Frank Parsons grew up in Preston in Melbourne’s north and learned to skate at both Melbourne Glaciarium and St Moritz Ice Palais. With skating partner Beryl Moore, he won the Victorian State Pair Championship at St Moritz in July 1951. The official verdict was a walk-over victory, and the couple repeated the feat in 1952 and ’53.

Parsons competed in nationals in the early ‘50s but never won a title. In 1951, he was senior pairs runner-up with Beryl Moore. The pair placed third in 1952. Parsons was the 1952 and 53 men's runner-up to 14-year-old Alan Ganter of NSW. He skated in “Holiday on Ice” at the Glaciarium that year before a house of 1500.

In mid-September 1953, Parsons went to England and Europe to compete in skating championships, along with Nita Solomon and Dawn Hunter. He placed 6th/7 in both the 1954 and 1955 British Senior Indoor Championships. He skated in the UK for many years, and taught and skated in TV productions.

Parsons later distinguished himself as a judge and an administrator in both the Victorian and Australian Ice Skating Associations. He became an ISU World Championship referee and a judge at the 1988 World Junior Figure Skating Championships where Australia’s Sean Abram competed. He also judged the 1992 Olympic Men’s and Pairs events, the 1997 Olympic Pairs event in which Danielle McGrath and Stephen Carr competed, and the 1998 Women’s event in which Joanne Carter placed 12th.

One of 22 inaugural inductees to Ice Skating Australia's Hall of Fame in August 2004, Parsons became a life member of the state association "for judging and administration of the State and National bodies".

Awarded the Order of Australia on 7 June 1999, 'for service to ice skating, particularly Australian figure skating as a judge, coach and referee ’, Frank Parsons died in Melbourne on 13th September 2015, aged 84 years. A service took place at St Finbarr's Catholic Church in Brighton East.