James Sparks
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James Sparks passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on April 22, 2023. For a man who loved to garden and to have his hands in the soil, it is fitting that he left this world on Earth Day. Jim was born in Wapato, Washington, in 1935. He graduated from Seattle Pacific College in 1956 with a degree in psychology. He later earned a master's degree in business administration from Evergreen State College.
Jim worked for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services in Olympia for 30 years. After retiring from the State, he worked as the financial manager of Brooklake Church in Federal Way. For the past 25 years, he and his wife have made their home in Anacortes, Washington. Jim always had a heart for service. He volunteered at the Washington State University Agricultural Extension in Mt. Vernon and as a tax preparer at the Anacortes Senior Center. Jim also had a heart for missions. As a member of Family Life Assembly of Anacortes, he promoted and supported missionaries around the world, including India, Panama, and the Philippines.
Jim is survived by the love of his life, Edith, his wife of 66 years. He is also survived by his brother Herb Sparks and sister Shirley Wilkerson, his three children -- Sheila McCoy, John Sparks (Sarah), and Joy Backman (Brian) -- his five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
His friends and family will always remember Jim as a kind, loving, and wise person. His deep and abiding faith is reflected in the following words from Psalm 33:22: "Let your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you." A celebration of Jim's life is being planned for midsummer.