Michael Parkin died at his summer home in Hampton Bays on July 14, Bastille Day. He was 81.
A native of Grantham, England, he attended maritime school and traveled widely with the British Merchant Navy. Presaging a life spent in the right place at the right time, he happened to be stationed in Bombay aboard the HMS Himalaya on August 15, 1947, when the Indian Independence Act took effect. In 1957, after meeting Fred Rappaport, his partner for 57 years, in London, and courting him in Paris, Mr. Parkin emigrated to the United States. The couple spent six years in Brooklyn before settling in Manhattan. In 1973, they founded Questers Tours, a pioneering nature-travel company. They were in business for almost three decades, leading birding and wildlife tours around the world. Mr. Parkin had a voracious appetite for knowledge. He read widely and shared his enthusiasms generously and, at times, forcefully, survivors said. A self-proclaimed curmudgeon, he took pleasure in argument, and also satisfaction in reconciliation. He had a twinkle in his eye and a hint of mischief in his smile. Both anarchist and patriot, cynic and romantic, he was a committed atheist who nonetheless believed that his place in heaven was assured, said survivors.
Mr. Parkin is survived by his husband, Frederick Rappaport; as well as scores of devoted friends, loving neighbors, avid birders, and fellow travelers.
A memorial service will be held this fall in New York City.
Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.
on Jul 28, 2014