The Quinte Region is pausing to honour the memory of a man who was a giant in the field of student transportation and safety.
Alvin (Al) Parkhurst passed away on Saturday at the tender age of 99 1/2 years old.
If you have lived here for at least a few years, you have not only heard the name Parkhurst but saw it on school buses rolling down roads across the Quinte Region countless times.
Parkhurst got started in the transportation business in 1946 by using his veteran’s allowance (after serving in the Navy) and buying Lamour’s Taxi.
He later started Parkhurst Transportation, helping untold thousands of children get to school safely, and his commitment to kids didn’t end there.
Along with his wife Audrey, Parkhurst was instrumental in starting the Special Needs Children’s Association in 1957, which involved them both being volunteer drivers for people in need.
Parkhurst was served the community in other ways as a member of the Belleville Legion Branch 99 and the Belleville Lions Club.
He was more than a business-owner, employer and community supporter. He was endlessly dedicated to the safety, well-being and continuing advancement of our children and our future itself. Many leaders in our community rode buses bearing his name twice a day every school day never knowing the debt they owed to a former Navy officer who led by example as captain of his own fleet of educational vessels.
I’m Paul martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
