John J. Sparks Sr. passed away Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 at Sakonnet Bay Manor. He was the husband of the late Theresa I. (St. Gelais) Sparks.
Born in Fall River, the son of the late Floyd and Jeanne (Briere) Sparks, he resided in Fall River most of his life before moving to Westport.
John was a graduate of BMC Durfee High School and Middlebury College. He was a lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War II. Mr. Sparks was a fighter pilot and received the Flying Cross and Gold Star Medals. He worked as an electrician and was the owner and operator of Briere and Sparks Inc.
Survivors include a son, John J. Sparks, Jr. and his wife Sandra of Little Compton; a daughter, Joanne Fernandes and her husband Bruce of Westport; the late Kenneth Sparks and his wife Cheryl of Little Compton; three sisters, Annette Evans of New Jersey; Florence Borden of Somerset; Kathleen Costa of California; seven grandchildren, Tara Fernandes Weber and her husband Matthew, Keith Fernandes and his wife Abby, Aaron Fernandes, Ashley Elizabeth, Amanda Jean, Alexandra and Graham Sparks, three great grandchildren, Jackson and Brooklyn Weber and Ethan Fernandes, and several nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Rita Bearse and Cecelia Sullivan.
His funeral will be held Wednesday, March 6, at 9 a.m. at Waring-Sullivan Home of Memorial Tribute at Cherry Place, 178 Winter Street, Fall River, followed by a funeral Mass to be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. at St George Church, 12 Highland Ave, Westport. Burial to follow in Beech Grove Cemetery, 879 Main Road, Westport. Visiting Hours will be held Tuesday, March 5, 2013 from 4-8 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to: ADK Charities, 501c3 and earmarked Project Remind, c/o Sparks Co. Inc., PO Box 215, Adamsville, RI 02801. Project Remind is a fundraising initiative started by Alexandra Sparks for Frontotemporal Degeneration in memory of her dad. For tributes and directions please visit our website at HYPERLINK “http://www.waring-sullivan.com” www.waring-sullivan.com.