Obituary of William-C. Sparks

William Chester Sparks, of Guntersville, Ala., formerly of Birmingham, died July 25, 2004, at the age of 89.Mr. Sparks was the sixth of eight children of William Christopher Sparks and Nannie Wood Sparks. Born and raised in Russell-ville, Ala., and a proud graduate of Russellville High School, he attended reunions of his high school class for more than 60 years. Mr. Sparks moved to Birmingham in his early 20s and attended Birmingham Southern College for one year. He met his wife of 63 years, Caroline Heyward Gignilliat Sparks, hitching a ride home from college one day in 1935. They were married in 1939 and raised three daughters.Mr. Sparks spent most of his career with Moore Handley Hardware Co., a large electrical and industrial distributing company. He retired as vice president of the electric and industrial division of the company. Mr. and Mrs. Sparks lived for many years in Homewood and then Vestavia. He was a member of All Saints Episcopal Church in Homewood, and served several terms as junior and senior warden. He was a member of Vestavia Country Club and was a regular golfer. He served for many years on the board of directors of St. Anne's home, the first institution for women recovering from alcoholism.Mr. Sparks loved boating, and the Sparks family were weekend residents of Guntersville from the early 1950s to the 1970s. Mr. and Mrs. Sparks retired there in 1978 and became active in Guntersville civic affairs and in the Episcopal church. He was a member of the Rotary Club and served as its president. He played a key role in promoting Guntersville as a retirement center and served for eight years as chairman of the first retirement board. He served as chairman for individual donations for the United Way and assisted his wife in the work of CASA, of Marshall County, and the Home Place. He served on the vestry and was senior warden of Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. He represented Marshall County in organizing the Silver Haired Legislature, was a member of the RSVP volunteer organization and supported the work of the Whole Backstage Theater. He served as a member of the volunteer Coast Guard.Mr. Sparks is survived by his daughter, Caroline Heyward Sparks, of Damascus, Md; grandchildren, Jeanne Stanfield Crago, William Joseph Stanfield III and Christopher Heyward Sparks; son-in-law, Joseph Stanfield; three great-grandchildren, David, Andrew and Emily Marie Crago, of Lewisburg, Pa.; and several nieces and nephews.His wife, Caroline Gignilliat Sparks and daughters, Jean Marie Sparks Stanfield and Lois Virginia Sparks, preceded him in death.His funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, in Guntersville, with the Rev. Jennifer Riddle and the Rev. Jim Alves officiating.There will be a reception at the church after the funeral.Honorary pallbearers include Robert Davis, Reid Hopper, and godson, Russell Sedberry, of Guntersville, son-in-law, Joseph Stanfield, of Winston-Salem, N.C., nephews, Larry Sparks and Christopher Sparks, of Russellville, and Steve Sparks, of Antioch, Tenn.His body was cremated, and the ashes will be interred in the church's memorial garden. The Guntersville Memorial Chapel handled the arrangements.The family suggests that memorial donations may be sent to the Church of the Epiphany Memorial Garden Fund, 1101 Sunset Drive, Guntersville, Ala.