Obituary of Sandra E. Sparks

SPARKS, Sandra Elaine
1946-2017

This is the story of Sandra Elaine Sparks. Sandra was a wonderful woman that was loved, is missed, and will always be cherished. A Wife to one, Mother of two and Grandmother of five, she was an amazing person, with a huge heart.
Sandra’s story starts on November 14, 1946, the second oldest child born to Stanley and Theresa Schapp in Putnam, CT. She spent her childhood living in Danielson, CT where she grew up, made many lifelong friends and went to school. She was very proud of her upbringing. Danielson is where she would meet the love of her life, the late James D. Sparks, Sr. of Greensboro, NC. Sandra and James were married in February 1966. James was drafted to the United States Army during the Vietnam War which led to a brief residency in Barstow, CA for the newlyweds. They returned to Danielson, CT with their first child in tow, James D. Sparks, Jr., born September 23, 1967. Sandra and James lived in a neighborhood surrounded by family, literally. From Sandra’s parents, to aunts and uncles, and friends that were considered family, every apartment in their neighborhood was occupied by a relative, blood related or chosen. Their lifestyle was typical of that era, James was the breadwinner and Sandra stayed home and took care of their son and their home. In 1973, their daughter, Tammy Lyn (Sparks) Shirley, was born December, 13th. That completed their family, and they continued their same roles for the coming years. James and Sandra shared a twenty year marriage, which unfortunately ended in divorce. After their divorce, Sandra struggled with achieving independence, but she overcame and conquered this challenge. She lived in Fredricksburg, VA for about ten years where she worked as a Convenience Store Manager. She moved back to Connecticut in 2000, she began working for Staples, to which she retired from in 2015. In 2001 her brave battle with head and neck cancer began, she fought long and hard, but it unfortunately took her life on October 5, 2017.
Sandra loved her family, especially her grandchildren; she took great pride in their existence. She loved having her family get together for special occasions; Christmas was her favorite holiday and her favorite time to do this.
Loved ones that cleared the path for Sandra are her father Stanley J. Schapp, Sr., her mother Theresa M. (Bombardier) Schapp; Ex-Husband, James D. Sparks, Sr. Loved ones that will miss Sandra until they meet again are her children, James D. Sparks, Jr. and Tammy L. (Sparks) Shirley; her daughter and son in-law, JoAnn M. Sparks and Michael R. Shirley; her grandchildren Taylor J. Sparks, Sheldon M. Sparks, Lynden M. Sparks, Austin M. Shirley and Jocelyn D. Shirley; her sisters Patricia A. Gingras and Carol M. Hebert; her brother Stanley J. Schapp; her brother in-laws Dante Gingras and Norman Hebert; her nephew Shawn Hebert and his wife Ann. And so the story goes on until we see our Mother, Grandmother and Sister again. We love you and miss you with all our hearts Mom.
Please join us for a Memorial Service honoring Sandra on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 12:30 p.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery, 372 Maple Street, Danielson, CT. Those, who so desire, may make memorial donations in memory of Sandra to The Northeast Connecticut Cancer Fund of DKH, Day Kimball Healthcare Development Department, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260 and online at https://www.daykimball.org/give/make-your-gift/.