John Parry, who served as Butler University's Director of Athletics from 1990-2006, passed away earlier this month at the age of 80.
 
Parry's 33 years in athletics administration began at his alma mater, Brown University, where he led the department for 11 years before arriving at Butler. He spent the final six years of his career at Cleveland State.
 
Parry is survived by his wife of 34 years Candi, and their two children, John C. Parry V (Bri) and Ashley Parry (Eric), his ex-wife Anne Parry Becker and their two children, Alyson Drew (Parker) and Jennifer McCarthy (Kevin), and six grandchildren: Harper, Samantha, and Keegan Drew, Owen and Lucas McCarthy, and Lorelei Cramer. He is also survived by his beloved sister Susan Finlay Marrinan (Mike) as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
 
A memorial service will be held at The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, Mass., on Saturday, October 26 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to please consider making a donation to the John C. Parry Scholarship at Butler University (Butler University, Office of University Advancement, 4600 Sunset Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46208).
 
During his tenure, Butler expanded its sports offerings, added and improved athletic facilities, and captured its first Horizon League James J. McCafferty Trophy for all-sports excellence in 1996-97. The Bulldogs repeated that honor in 1997-98, 1998-99, 2001-02 and 2002-03.
 
The Bulldogs captured 55 conference regular season/tournament championships over Parry's 16 years and made NCAA Tournament appearances in men's and women's basketball, football, men's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's cross country, lacrosse, men's tennis, men's and women's track and baseball.
 
Last appearing in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in 1962, the Bulldogs would make five NCAA appearances in Parry's final decade leading the Butler athletics department, including a berth in the NCAA's "Sweet 16" in 2003. The men's cross country team posted Butler's (then) highest NCAA finish ever with a fourth-place finish at the 2004 national meet, and Victoria Mitchell captured Butler's first national championship in 73 years with a first-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2005 NCAA Track and Field meet.

Butler's athletes also excelled in the classroom. The Bulldogs accumulated numerous league, regional and national academic honors over those 16 years, and Butler led the Horizon League in number of student-athletes named to the academic honor roll in nine of Parry's final 10 years.
 
Parry served two separate terms on the NCAA Lacrosse Selection Committee in the 1980s and 1990s. He led a group that modernized the NCAA Tournament and created Final Four weekend, similar to other NCAA Championships, which still exists today.