October 24, 1928 –  April 9, 2012  WHITESBORO â?? Funeral services for Nathan Robert Sparks, Sr., 83, will be held Saturday, April 14, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Whitesboro, Texas with Rev. Mike Flanagan officiating. Interment will follow the service at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Collinsville, Texas. All service arrangements are under the direction of Meador Funeral Home in Whitesboro. Family visitation will be Friday, April 13, from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.He passed away on April 9, 2012 in Dallas, Texas.
Nathan was born on October 24, 1928 to Robert Donald and Alma Maryon (Hackney) Sparks in Vernon, Texas. Following graduation from Amarillo High School he joined United States Air Force. He married Oleta Woodall on January 2, 1952 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was previously a member of the Valwood Park Baptist Church and was a very active member there, even working on a team to assemble the pipe organ. Most recently, he was a member of the First Baptist Church of Whitesboro, Texas. Nathan was a ham radio operator (W5NBA). He liked to watch auto racing, loved the Dallas Cowboys and liked to fish for catfish. Most of all, he loved his family. In his professional life he worked in Avionics, and wrote technical manuals, including those for the Communication systems for tracking antennas for the NASA moonwalk in 1969.
He is survived by his wife, Oleta Sparks, of Whitesboro; son Nathan Sparks, Jr. and wife, Carol, of Crossroads; son, Russell Sparks and wife, Patricia, of Rowlett; daughter, Diane Dutton and husband, Darrin, of Whitesboro; and Todd Sparks and wife, Tracy of Galveston; grandchildren: Ginger and Tom, Nathan III, Sean and Amber, Gabrielle and Dillon, Michael, Jacob, Brandon and Jorja; Lance and Dallas; Malorie and Robby, and Jerad; Travor, Travis and Tina;great grandchildren: Caleb, Colton, Tristin, Trevor, Tatum, Tanner, Noah, Triston, Raegan, Layla and Tripp; sister, Barbra Jean Gall of La Luz, NM; cousin, Tom Sparks and wife, Tommie, of Ardmore, OK.; and “Rowlett”, his beloved cat.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Alma Sparks.
The pallbearers will be Nathan Sparks, Sean Sparks, Lance Sparks, Brandon Sparks, Jerad Dutton, and Jacob Forson. Honorary pallbearers will be Caleb Voll and Colton Voll.