Family will be receiving friends Saturday, October 31, 2020, from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m., at Jasper’s First Baptist Church. Service will follow at 12 p.m., at Jasper’s First Baptist Church, with Kilgore-Green Funeral Home directing, burial at Oak Hill Cemetery. Dr. Michael Adams will officiate.
While we will grieve with family and friends over his passing, we would like to raise a Hallelujah that Grady Nolan Sparks is now home with the Lord and is excited to have all of us join him when our time on earth is done.
“Three”. That was Grady Nolan. He did not wait for One, Two. He was always ready to take on the next challenge. He started out in life a bricklayer, earned his degree in Building Construction at Auburn University (one of the last things he said was War Eagle) and quickly became a contractor/developer/cattleman. He loved to travel, see and explore new land. He could look at a piece of property and envision how it could best be used for farming, hunting, development, or as a sanctuary. He always said he was like his Daddy and just wanted to see over the next hill or around the next bend. Truly insightful and creative, a visionary, he even took western art classes in Taos, New Mexico.
His interests ranged from coaching little league football to raising/training bird dogs for Field Trials, to recording gospel music. He obtained his multi engine pilots license and flew for both business and pleasure. He went on a mission trip to South Korea; took his family to Italy and captained his boat, the “LoriLee” through the Canadian Waterways to Alaska.
He raised champion Reining Horses, Cutting Horses, Cow Horses, Barrel Horses and Pleasure Horses and maintained and developed one of the finest Hereford Cattle Herds in the nation.
He played bridge, tennis and pickleball with equal drive and determination. In fact, he travelled the country competing in major Bridge Championships; was a highly ranked southern section tennis player for over 20 years, and won back to back US Open Pickleball Championships rising to #5 in the world rankings at the age of 81. Grady Nolan often told us that he still holds the Walker County record for the mile run having run it in 5 minutes flat in 1956. Since high school track competitions switched to the metric system not long after that, this may be true!
Our point is this. Grady Nolan did not “dabble” in anything. He took on every new interest with the goal in mind of being the very best he could be. He had a strong will, fierce determination and knew how to make things happen! He did this by meeting and listening and learning from others and eventually teaching others. He believed one should always be eager to learn, respectful of others, intentional with their efforts, realistic in setting their goals, and passionate about achieving them. This was not work for him. It was love.
And love is what he showed all family, friends, and strangers alike. He knew the love of Jesus and shared it with all he encountered either through counsel or song. We were at his bedside wondering why he was handling his failing health so much better than the rest of us. Grady Nolan was like the bricklayer before him, Nehemiah, who encouraged all around him by reminding them that “the joy of the Lord is my strength”.
Hallelujah to the precious name of Jesus Christ for blessing us with Grady Nolan Sparks! Amen!
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Lori Sparks; son, Lee Nations; and parents, George Grady Sparks and Virginia Katherine Sparks.
He is survived by his wife, Connie Sparks; sons, Nolan Sparks (Dina) and John Nations (Merilee); grandchildren, Alex Sparks, Adam Sparks (Lisa Lam), Sylvie Sparks, Jesse Lee Nations, Mason Kern and Devyn Kern.
Pallbearers will be John Cummings Mike Drummond, J Hambric, Mike Houston, Keith Pike, Ryan Soule, Tony Sparks, Dr. Buddy Thorne, Haig Wright and Jim Young.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Hunter Abercrombie, Dr. Gene Birdsong, Bob Ebert, Geddes Self and Dr. Larry Thorne.
The family wishes you to remember Grady Nolan in whatever way brings comfort to you whether it be flowers, donations to Pancreatic Action Network (PANCAN.org). the Walker Area Community Foundation (wacf.org), or First Baptist Church, Jasper, AL (jaspersfbc.org/give).
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