Donald Sparks

Donald was born in Garden City, Kansas, on February 5, 1955. Thankfully, his family moved to Texas soon after, and Don spent his young childhood in Plainview. Later, his family moved to the greener pastures of Pasadena, then La Porte, where Don attended LaPorte High School and played Center on the LaPorte football team.

After a short stint at San Jacinto Junior College, Don served in the U.S. Army for two years. Although this was during the Vietnam War, he was thankfully deployed in Germany, working in the aviation unit. After experiencing life in the army, Don was much more motivated to finish college, and he graduated from University of Houston Clear Lake with a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and business.

His first real job (not counting flipping burgers at the Hunger Halt or corralling troubled teens at the Juvenile Detention Center) was with Tuboscope. He then became a credit manager at National Oilwell/Varco. There he showed remarkable skill in moving up the corporate ladder and surviving deadly meetings. Don worked incredibly hard, sometimes up to ninety hours a week, but he was always happily determined to provide for his family the best he could. Later in his career, he traveled around the world, tending to business in China, South Korea, France, Netherlands, Germany, and Norway.

Don met the love of his life, Kerrelyn, on a blind date on their shared birthday. Curious as to which of them was the oldest, Kerrelyn had brought her birth certificate to the breakfast date at LePeep with her stated time of birth at 7:20 AM. Not knowing what time he was born, Don called home and his mother was also unsure, just remembering it was sometime between 7 and 8 AM. After a whirlwind romance, Don and Kerry were married July 8, still not knowing which of them was the oldest. After their daughter was born, they learned that Kerry was 30 minutes older. This gave Don the joyful teasing rights to complain that he had married an older woman. It gave Kerry the right to tease him back for being slow and almost missing the appointed hour. Kerry always told Don that since they had come into the world together, they would also leave together, so she is devastated that he had to leave her early.

Everyone who knew Don knows that he was a strong, vibrant, and happy guy. He saw humor in most everything and had a funny way of expressing it. Often, he would not refer to things or people by their real name, but made up his own names. His son Daniel was Spud. Jonathan was JonaThIN. Emily was Favorite Daughter. Holloway was Dr. Square. He kept the nurses at the hospital confused by using different names such as the Rat Bell for the bed alarm.

Don’s love for his family and friends was tremendous. He loved God and his Savior Lord Jesus. He loved our country and living in Texas. He loved baseball, beer, cooking steaks on the grill, having lunch with his friends, collecting tools in his garage, working on projects around the house, and traveling. Everyone who met Don always remembered him.

Don is preceded in death by his parents: Lester Duane Sparks and Twila June Sparks.

There are many heartbroken family members who are grieving for Don: his wife, Kerrelyn; his children, Daniel, Jonathan, and Emily; their spouses Sandy and Michael; his grandsons Aaron, Andrew, Logan, Luke, Henry, Jack, Ethan, Nathan, and Elliot; his sisters Bonny and Rose and their husbands John and James; and his brother Steven and wife Angie. After a marriage of thirty-five years, Kerrelyn’s family also loved Don greatly, and he will be missed by her brothers, Randy, Jess, Dan, and Kevin Sumrall and their wives, Lori, Jo, Lisa, and Poppy.

Kerrelyn would like to thank all the family and friends who have been so kind and supportive over the past few months. Thank you for loving Don. He certainly loved you.