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Sparks, James "Jim" E.

May 1, 2042 –
 December 21, 2013

Obituary

Jim was born in Kermit Texas, May 1, 1942, and died in Dallas, Texas, December 21, 2013 of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Jim was a gentle and kind husband, father and grandfather.  He had a wonderful sense of humor, and cared deeply about always doing the right thing.  He would pick up an insect in the house, and move it outside, rather than killing it.  He was a Stephen Minister with the Methodist Church (First United Methodist Church of Richardson), being available as a lay person to counsel others in need. He volunteered for several years to coordinate the sound system management for the three worship services every Sunday at FUMCR.   He volunteered in summer reading programs to help elementary school children from disadvantaged neighborhoods.  He also volunteered in Richardson ISD to help children in mathematics and science. Jim spent his youth in Victoria, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas with a B.A. in mathematics, and received two masters in mathematics and operations research from branches of UT. He taught undergraduate mathematics at Texas State University in San Marcos.  He worked as a mathematician in Dallas at Core Labs, and later as a management consultant in health care at various companies including Keane, B.D.O. Seidman, Artemis, and had his own consulting practice JESA & Associates.   He lived for forty years with his wife of forty-four years in Richardson Texas.  He resided briefly at Windsor Senior Living in Dallas Texas. Jim is survived by his wife Alicia Sparks, daughter Christine Sparks, grandson Toren Sparks-La Placa, step-brother Gary McKeithen, brother-in-law David Maxey, nephew David Maxey, nieces Sandra Edgar, Tracy Funari, sister-in-law Anne Price, nieces Allyson Price, Kathryn Price. Services will be held at First United Methodist Church in Richardson, 503 North Central Expressway in Richardson at 10 am on January 10th, 2014.   In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Dallas. Arrangements are under the direction of ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700

    Suzy
    5 Jan 2014
    10:16am

    I am so sad to hear about Jim. He was truly a kind and gentle man. I am glad to have known each of you and you have my most sincere sympathy for your loss.

    Lon and Connie Thomas
    5 Jan 2014
    9:35pm

    We remember Jim as a kind and gentle man to his wife, Alicia.
    As a loving and doting father to their daughter, Christine.
    We express our sincere sorrow for
    their loss.

    Yvonne Fritz
    5 Jan 2014
    10:23pm

    Alicia,
    I am so sorry to learn of Jim’s passing. I haven’t been up-to-date with our group from AAUW and didn’t know that he suffered from Alsheimer’s. This must have been difficult for all of his family. My sympathy to you on the loss of your devoted mate of 44 years.

    Love and prayers,
    Yvonne Fritz

    Gary and Kathy Stewart
    6 Jan 2014
    10:01pm

    We are so sorry at Jim’s passing. He was truly a gentle sole and a friend to all those who worked with him. It was a please to have known him.

    We understand how difficult these times are for those left behind and pray you will find solace in the lives and the quality of life you shared.

    Joe Huff
    6 Jan 2014
    11:35pm

    Alicia,
    Jody and I are so sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. We, like everyone with which he came contact, had enormous respect for Jim. His personality was a reflection of his kind and gentle nature, and made him a pleasure to be around. He will be greatly missed.

    Beverly Dobson and Baltimore Cousins
    7 Jan 2014
    11:01pm

    We are all very sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

    Jennifer
    8 Jan 2014
    11:09am

    Jim was a great father and husband. Very sorry for your loss.

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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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