John Carlton Sprague

John “Jack” Carlton Sprague passed away peacefully on May 27, 2023, at his home in Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He was a life-long learner and a life-long worker, and he was 95 years old.

Jack is survived by his wife of 32 years, Sheila Sullivan (nee Gallagher) Sprague, his daughters Mary Sprague Lareau (David), Ann Warren, and Martha Sprague Janney (Joseph), as well as stepsons Kevin Sullivan (Brigit), Brian Sullivan (Kerrie), and Timothy Sullivan and his former spouse Peggy Sullivan. He is also survived by nine grandchildren.

Jack was born on November 11, 1927, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Horace J. Sprague and Ada Richards Sprague. He grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, and Hyattsville, Maryland.

At the age of 17, Jack had to get his mother’s permission to enlist in the United States Marine Corp in 1945. He enrolled at the University of Maryland on the GI Bill in 1947. While working his way through college, he was also a proud member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He received a bachelor’s degree in business in 1951.

Jack rose steadily on the national sales team at IBM and served there for more than 35 years. One of his final positions at IBM, directing federal government sales, led Jack to earn a masters degree in public administration from the University of Southern California. He then represented IBM’s interests on Capitol Hill and in the Maryland State Legislature. Before retiring, he was appointed to serve on the Maryland Board of Education, Maryland Military Monuments Commission, and the boards of the Maryland State and Montgomery County chambers of commerce. He was also chair of the Montgomery County Year-round Use-of-Schools Study for 5 years. After retiring from IBM, Jack immediately took on a second career as a lobbyist in Maryland for various interests including Maryland Biotech Industries, the Technology Council of Maryland, The Maryland Jockey’s Guild, the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and the Montgomery County Commission on Aging. He served as a lobbyist in Annapolis until 2008 when he finally retired at the age of 80.

In recent years, Jack and Sheila enjoyed spending their time with friends and family. They traveled as often as possible. He will be missed by all.