George William Sparks, Jr AKA Bill AKA Dad

 

George William “Bill” Sparks Jr. was born on March 31, 1942, in Alameda, California, to parents George William and Elizabeth Cross Sparks. He died on March 9, 2013, at his home in Irrigon, Oregon, at the age of 70 years.

 

Bill was raised in Berkeley, California, graduating from Berkeley High School in 1966. He worked at the family business, Auto Radio Headquarters, owned by George Sr. from the time he was a teenager. Bill’s father died in 1965, and he and his brother Chip inherited the business. They operated the business until retiring in 2000. Bill was united in marriage to Katherine Alldridge on May 3, 1980, in Minden, Nevada. They moved to Irrigon, Oregon, in 2000 where they have lived since.

 

Bill loved restoring old cars; his favorite was a 1932 Ford Coupe that he took to many Good Guys car shows with his family. He enjoyed time with his family, gardening, and car shows.

 

He is survived by his wife, Katherine Sparks, Irrigon, Ore.; sons George Sparks III and his wife Amy of Matthews, N.C., and Joel Sparks and his wife Morgan, Hanford, Calif.; daughter Amy Harmount, Capitola, Calif.; brother Joel (Chip) Sparks and his wife Nicki, Danville, Calif.; grandchildren Peter and William Sparks, Sydney Harmount, Jack, Sage, Charlotte and Samuel Sparks; nieces Allison Hatfield and her husband Brian, and Ashley Curiel and her husband Valente.

 

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Joshua Sparks.

 

A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 15, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Boardman, Oregon. Burial will follow at the Desert Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Irrigon, Oregon.

 

Contributions in Bill’s memory may be made to Pioneer Memorial Hospice or the American Heart Association.

 

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Billy boy.  Ah, my Bill.  Joel's dad was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer October 2011.  He had undergone radiation and chemo and rarely uttered a word of complaint. 

 

Bill was a diamond that could very easily be overlooked.  If you didn't take to time to see really him, you would miss it.  And, my goodness, what a shame to miss it.  He was patient but was no pushover.  He was kind, had a lot of know-how knowledge, was always there to help, he was thoughtful, and really had a good, soft spoken heart. Bill was a good good man.  Everyone who knew who him loved his deeply.  Myself included. 

 

There have been 3 deaths in the space of 2 weeks in our family.  This one was the hardest.  Yes, we knew it was coming, but even still.  It is hard.  Joel and his dad were very close.  Bill is sorely missed.