Richard
Richard Thomas Sparks
Richard Thomas Sparks, 76, of Lynchburg, died Saturday September 17, 2011. He was born March 1, 1935 in Springfield, MO, the son of the late Leonard Amos and Jewell Thomas Sparks. He graduated in 1953 from Classen High School, Oklahoma City and in 1957 from Princeton University, and pursued an MBA at the University of Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by his wife of 44 years, Alice Hisle Sparks. He is survived by his wife of 7 years, Carolyn Carroll Sparks. He is also survived by his sister Susan Sparks Griffith (Verne) of St. Paul, MN, his children Lea Sparks Bennett (Herb) of Lynchburg, Richard Thomas Sparks, Jr (Bonnie) of St. Louis, MO, John Timothy Sparks (Stacy) of Charlotte, NC, and grandchildren Mary MacAllister Bennett, George Sparks Bennett, Elizabeth Morton Bennett of Lynchburg, Caroline Fletcher Sparks, Barrett Harter Sparks of St. Louis, MO, and Hadley Riddick Sparks of Charlotte, NC. His stepchildren Randall Carroll Moore (Kate) of Wayland, MA, Stephen Price Moore (Kristy) of Woodland Hills, CA and step-grandchildren Eleanor Louise Moore, Peter William Moore, and Charles Stephen Moore of Wayland, MA, Ellen Price Moore and Emily Grace Moore of Woodland Hills, CA, and several nieces and nephews.
After 30 years of service, he rose to Vice President of Personnel at AT&T / Southwestern Bell where he played a key role in the historic divestiture of the world\"™s largest company in the early \"˜80s. Following his retirement from AT&T, Dick served as General Manager and CFO of HLW, Inc., an international architecture and design consultancy in New York City. After retirement from HLW in 2001, Dick and Alice moved to Lynchburg in 2003.
Dick dedicated much of his life to the service and mentorship of others. He was a Deacon and Elder in the Presbyterian Church. He remained a life-long active member of the Princeton Class of 1957, was a long-time member of the Rotary Club, and was an active member in the Republican Party. He was a Board member of many organizations including the Urban League, in Morristown, NJ, the Academy of Fine Arts, in Lynchburg, where he served as Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Opera on the James in Lynchburg. He was a Lifetime Trustee of the Morris Museum in Morristown, NJ. His passions in life were his family, politics, finance, the Merlot Group, and his dog, Skipper.
The memorial service will be held at 2 pm Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at First Presbyterian Church on VES Road.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church VES Rd, Lynchburg VA 24503, The Academy of Fine Arts 600 Main St Lynchburg VA 24504, or The Opera on the James, 701 Main Street Lynchburg, VA 24504 or the Princeton Classmates Fund, 1957 c/o Bob Kent, Trustee 23 Wyckoff Way, Chester, NJ 07930.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family, 434-237-9424.
After 30 years of service, he rose to Vice President of Personnel at AT&T / Southwestern Bell where he played a key role in the historic divestiture of the world\"™s largest company in the early \"˜80s. Following his retirement from AT&T, Dick served as General Manager and CFO of HLW, Inc., an international architecture and design consultancy in New York City. After retirement from HLW in 2001, Dick and Alice moved to Lynchburg in 2003.
Dick dedicated much of his life to the service and mentorship of others. He was a Deacon and Elder in the Presbyterian Church. He remained a life-long active member of the Princeton Class of 1957, was a long-time member of the Rotary Club, and was an active member in the Republican Party. He was a Board member of many organizations including the Urban League, in Morristown, NJ, the Academy of Fine Arts, in Lynchburg, where he served as Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Opera on the James in Lynchburg. He was a Lifetime Trustee of the Morris Museum in Morristown, NJ. His passions in life were his family, politics, finance, the Merlot Group, and his dog, Skipper.
The memorial service will be held at 2 pm Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at First Presbyterian Church on VES Road.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church VES Rd, Lynchburg VA 24503, The Academy of Fine Arts 600 Main St Lynchburg VA 24504, or The Opera on the James, 701 Main Street Lynchburg, VA 24504 or the Princeton Classmates Fund, 1957 c/o Bob Kent, Trustee 23 Wyckoff Way, Chester, NJ 07930.
Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family, 434-237-9424.
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