Ken Sponsler

Ken was born in Visalia, California on June 24, 1952, to Harold and LaVerne Sponsler. Ken grew up on the family’s tree nursery, surrounded by avocado trees and walnut orchards. With an abundance of land to explore, Ken loved riding his bike and playing with Army men with friends and cousins. Ken had an older sister, Brenda, and younger siblings, Kevin and Karen. When he was 16, the family moved to the Los Angeles area, where Ken learned to surf and developed his love of the ocean.

Ken was a natural born leader, becoming a supervisor for landscaping jobs as a teenager. Upon graduation from high school, Ken briefly attended the University of Southern California before ultimately deciding to enlist in the U.S. Air Force. Ken was a fierce protector of those he loved, including his family and his country. His son, Joshua, was born while Ken was serving in the Air Force, and while deployments and assignments often separated them, Josh was a bright light in his life. Ken served his country in the military for 18 years. When asked where he was from, Ken would often say “I’ve lived all over the world…”. Ken was an insightful student of the ways of the world. His experiences and exposure to different people and cultures gave him a unique perspective and ability to understand and admire different people. Ken led people in a way that harnessed their unique abilities to create successful teams. His military leadership was one example, but his leadership abilities served him well throughout his life and it gave him great joy to share his insights with others to help them succeed.

Upon leaving the military, Ken had several careers, from corporate retail management to being a sole proprietor of a bike shop. Ken ultimately ended up in the information technology arena, first as a technician, then as a manager of operations at Connecting Point in Greeley. From there, Ken had an opportunity to become a founding partner of SeaLevel Operations, utilizing his vast experience in management to provide business coaching for IT companies. SeaLevel grew and was eventually acquired by Pax8, an international software marketplace. Ken was proud to help companies and their people become successful, leaving a lasting legacy for many who interacted with him and who were members of the “Coached by Ken Club”.

Perhaps the greatest joy in Ken’s life was his wife, Meggan of 19 years. Together they were fortunate to be able to travel the world and share so many of life’s experiences. To anyone who met them, it was clear their love for each other was profound and their relationship was a true partnership, built to love and serve each other. Ken was quickly welcomed into Meggan’s family in Laramie, Wyoming, for which he was eternally grateful.

Ken is survived by his wife, Meggan; son Josh of Belgrade Montana; mother LaVerne Sponsler of Corvallis, Oregon; Sister Karen and husband Davey Porter of Corvallis, Oregon; brother Kevin and wife Susie Sponsler of Montague, California; in-laws Rollin and Carolyn Abernethy of Laramie, Wyoming; Ian Abernethy and wife Kristy Palmer of Laramie, Wyoming; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Harold Sponsler; sister, Brenda McCarthy; and infant daughter, Jenny. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Ken’s honor can be made to the Rocky Mountain Conservancy in the care of Allnutt through the website or at their address: Allnutt Funeral Home, 6521 W. 20th St., Greeley, CO 80634. There are no services planned at this time.