John C. Sparks

John C. Sparks, 90, of Massillon died peacefully on April 24 surrounded by his family. Born in Massillon in 1926 to William R. and Lyda Matthews Sparks, he was the youngest of five siblings growing up on 9th Street NE. His family was fortunate during the Depression, as his father was the station agent at the Pennsylvania Railroad station. A member of the WHS class of '44, he earned his diploma a little late, after a two-year detour to California when, as he explained to his mother, he and a friend made a wrong turn on a hitchhiking trip to Kentucky. After a series of unusual jobs in California, he returned to Massillon in 1945 and enlisted in the Navy. As a corporal on a LCVP landing craft he would have taken part in the anticipated invasion of Japan, but with the unexpected early end to the war, he instead became part of the occupation force. He spent time in both the Port of Sasebo and in Nagasaki as well as in Nationalist controlled Shanghai. With the end of the World War II, he was discharged and used his GI bill to get his pilot's license at Nobles Field in Jackson Township, the center of a small club of fliers that included Vern Riesbeck and Russ Bailey. After his naval tour, he returned to Massillon where he was introduced to his future wife, Amelia Motto, by one of his shipmates. They married in 1952, but it was a short-lived honeymoon, because, as a member of the National Guard, he was called up to the army for active duty at Camp Polk, Louisiana a week later. He didn't see much action. After several weeks of training, he was sent back to Canton and put in charge of troop assignments for his regiment. He promptly assigned himself to duty in Canton, Ohio. John had a colorful working career that included everything from newsboy and farm-hand to clerk at Penney's and fireman on the Nickel Plate Railroad. In 1956 he finally settled at the Deuber Avenue bearing plant of The Timken Company, retiring in 1988 after 32 years. He then turned his interest toward local history. With his days free, John started showing up at the Massillon Museum and asking to see pieces from the collection. Calling frequently on Margy Vogt, the museum's curator, she raised the question, 'who is this guy?' Deciding that he liked what he saw, he finally announced, 'This is where I am going to spend my retirement.' Having worked his way into their acceptance, he spent the next 29 years volunteering at the only community supported museum in the state. John was instrumental in the physical move of the collection from the Duncan Mansion to its current building. With his wide knowledge of Massillon history, he identified and catalogued thousands of items in the collection. Once the new Museum was established, he turned his attention to organizing and cataloging collections. He was able to identify historic photographs for the Museum and answer research requests for the community on behalf of the Museum. He was proud most recently of cataloging 40,000 negatives donated by The Independent. His presence was felt beyond the archive, too, becoming kind of a favorite grandfather to the Museum's young staff. His passing represents the loss of a vast knowledge of local history, which he generously shared with the Museum and the community. His efforts were rewarded with recognition as the first ever winner of The Ohio Museums Association's Volunteer of the Year award, in 2012. John was an avid collector of vintage Massillon post cards and railroad memorabilia, enjoyed big band and opera, but not rock and roll music, and was a Tigers fan. John was preceded in death by Amelia, his wife of 64 years. He is survived by their three children—Bill Sparks (Anne) of Berkeley, California; James Sparks (Oliver) of New York City; and Mary Sparks McMunn (Gregg) of Bexley, Ohio; three grandchildren: Colleen and Adam Sparks and Heather McMunn Haringa (Mike); and two great-grandchildren, Ella and Lilly Haringa. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, April 28, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Barbara’s Catholic Church. Entombment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, where military rites will be held. Friends may call on Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Paquelet Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Community Hospice of Tuscarawas County or to the Margy Vogt Photography Endowment Fund of the Massillon Museum.