Daniel Edwin Sparks' Obituary
Daniel Edwin Sparks (December 13, 1954 – June 6, 2019) was born to Earl and Henrietta Sparks (predeceased), in Sedalia, Missouri. Being the son of an Air Force Colonel, Daniel moved often during his childhood, including England where his father was stationed, and finally to San Diego which quickly became home. In his twenties, Daniel fell in love with the film and television industry, which would continue to be his passion for the next 40 years. Despite many opportunities to move to Los Angeles, Daniel chose to remain in San Diego, where he could be close to countless friends and to raise his family. Daniel is survived by the love of his life, Sandra Sparks, to whom he was married for 35 years. Daniel would often share the story of how they met – when he first saw her, it was like being hit by a bolt of lightning; truly love at first sight. He honored and loved Sandra with everything he had for more than 3 decades. He is survived by his sons, Nathan Sparks and Joshua Parmentar (Jennifer Arens). There wasn’t an opportunity he would pass up, to share with anyone within earshot, how proud he was of his boys. In later years, his four grandchildren (Jamie Lee, Penelope, Madelyn, and Micah Wayne) gave him a newfound sense of purpose, and he became “Papa”. They would run into his arms screaming “PAPA”, his eyes would light up, and his heart was full. Dan passed away unexpectedly while on location in Caen, France, working pro-bono with a Non-Profit that provides support to the widows of Special Ops members. While in France, he shared with his family that this was a favorite project of his career, and that he had everything he could ask for in life. The trip brought a feeling of closeness to his own father, who served in World War II. Commemorating D-Day and honoring his father’s service, felt like a gift. He was doing that which he loved – giving back from a place of love and passion. Dan is survived by his brothers Jack Sparks and Monty Sparks (Gail), his sister Dianne Sparks, and predeceased by his oldest brother Mike Sparks. Dan is also survived by his sister-in-law Carol Johnson (Alfred), his brothers-in-law Mike Plummer, Kenny Plummer, Doug Dugger (Natalie) and mother-in-law Betty Dugger. He will forever be remembered by his devoted nieces, nephews, grandchildren, extended family and his dear friends. Daniel leaves behind a legacy of loving fiercely, living passionately, celebrating life’s victories, and pushing forward through the hard times. Daniel taught us all not to love with just words, but also with action. He was a great man and will be missed dearly by all who had the pleasure to know him. A memorial will be held June 23rd from 11 am till 3 pm at the Bali Hai (2230 Shelter Island Dr. San Diego, CA) For more information, please contact Nathan Sparks at [email protected]
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