Laura Katherine Jackson
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On November 11, 1942, Laura Katherine Reynolds entered the world at City Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to proud parents, Anne Siler and Frank Taylor Reynolds. Frank received the news from Anne by telegram, where he was serving as a Sea Bee in the Aleutian Islands during WWII. The story was always told as, "he received the news by flashlight" - one that was communicating through Morse Code, of course. Kathy grew up in Lewisville, North Carolina with her parents, brother, Richard Maxwell Reynolds, 3 years her senior, and surrounded by her, grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins, the offspring of the other 5 brothers of her Daddy, Frank. She graduated from Southwest High School in Clemmons, NC in 1961.
After 2 years at Pfeiffer College and then completing Nursing School at Forsyth Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, she became Kathy Reynolds Sparks on November 12th, 1966. She married Joseph Kay Sparks, Jr., known as Jody to his family and friends. Her dress was hand sewn by her mother, Anne. Jody and Kathy began their marriage in Jody's home of Salem County, New Jersey. There, their first child was born, a daughter, Laura Shannon Sparks. Shannon was born surrounded by Kathy's close friends from Pfeiffer, Bob & Sonja Layton, who had introduced Kathy and Jody, and Jody's parents, Joe & Gladys Sparks . After a year in New Jersey, Jody wanted to explore North Carolina, so they moved to Foscoe, NC, where Kathy's dad Frank was developing a neighborhood called Sleepy Hollow. Soon after, their son was born, John Preston Sparks, surrounded by his parents, grandparents and sister.
After 9 years of marriage, in 1976, Kathy became a Single Working Mom. She moved her family from Sleepy Hollow in Foscoe to Bavarian Village in the town of Boone to be closer to her work. Having worked part time evenings during her marriage, she began to work full time days at the job, which she always said is her Calling. This showed in her genuine enthusiasm and dedication as a Registered Nurse. She began her career in New Jersey after her marriage in 1966, where she had moved to live with Jody. This career continued at Watauga County Hospital, now Watauga Medical Center. Her career in this hospital lasted for 29 years, beginning in Obstetrics. Over a period of 10 years, Kathy assisted in the delivery of quite a number of the children born in the town of Boone. She became her department's supervisor and later became the Hospital Supervisor. Her total Nursing career spans over 30 years.
Around the time that her own kids were College Students - late 1980's - early 1990's - she also began to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A program through Winston-Salem State University allowed her to take classes at Appalachian State University so that she could earn her degree and continue to live and work in Boone. At one point, she and both kids were living in an apartment in Bavarian Village earning degrees at Appalachian State - the Sparks Family Fraternity! Kathy was so enthusiastic about being a College Student and she of course completed her degree with flying colors. This allowed her to become WMC's Diabetes Educator in the pinnacle of her Nursing Career. She took such joy in patient care and in the teaching aspect of this position. Patient Care was always her focus above and beyond all else in Nursing, except to include exceptional teamwork and fondness for her Comrades.
If there is a passion in Kathy's life as great as her Calling, her Family and her Children, it is Music. Kathy has always loved music and her home and her life have always been filled with enjoying hearing and performing many different types of music. Since becoming a student at Pfeiffer College in 1961, she enjoyed singing in the Trojanaires choir. Years later after moving her family to Boone, Kathy began singing with the Appalachian Chorale in 1979 as influenced by her friend and Obstetrics colleague, Dr. Trathan and his wife, Joan. When Dr. Clinton Parker became the director of the Chorale, it so happens that he was also the director of the Boone United Methodist Church Choir. Kathy began singing with the church choir in 1981 and continued for almost the next 40 years! She sang with the Appalachian Chorale until 2013, a period of over 40 years! Kathy's dedication to the Chorale and to the Boone UMC Choir was as steadfast as it was to her Calling of Nursing. She loved her church and the choir was a Family to her.
On July 15th, 1998 Kathy and Jim Jackson were married. Dr. James Jackson was a History Professor and Dean of Higher Education at Appalachian State University and a prominent member of Kathy's own church, Boone United Methodist. A couple short months following their wedding day, Kathy became a widow. They had enjoyed a relationship for several years before their marriage and Jim lived longer that he might have been expected to following his cancer diagnosis. Kathy missed Jim terribly but remained always devoted to the memory of The Love Of Her Life.
Another great love of Kathy's life was dogs and she was so devoted to her own dog, Sable, who blessed her life from the early 1990's until around 2004. Kathy loved taking Sable with her to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This was one of Kathy's favorite places to visit and is memorialized in much of her own amateur photography. Kathy loved to take pictures and the amazing views of the Viaduct area of the Parkway has been one of her favorite landscapes to photograph, and her dog, Sable, one of her favorite models. This is evident in Kathy's collection of photo albums.
After being diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in February of 2015, Kathy peacefully closed her eyes to rest in the early morning hours of Thursday, February 27th, 2020 while surrounded by her son, John, close family friend, Sarah Shockley, and caregivers, Lisa and Evelyn.
Kathy and her family wish to show their deep gratitude to Brian Estates and the caregivers of Appalachian Home Care for their wonderful care during this difficult illness.
Kathy's love of her home has been demonstrated to those blessed to know her through her dedication to her family, her career, her community and to her church. Kathy is survived by her children, Shannon and John Sparks, unofficially adopted son, Bradley Henderson, Kathy's brother, Richard, his wife, Sharon, his son, Jason Reynolds, his daughter, Adrianne Meyers, their beautiful families, and Kathy's many Siler and Reynolds cousins, nieces and nephews, and many children that she helped to deliver into the world.
Kathy's Celebration of Life took place on Thursday, March 5th, 2020 at Boone United Methodist Church. At the service, her beloved choir placed her robe over her chair with a rose. Family and friends gathered to show support and tell favorite stories of Kathy, especially of the care she showed during the birth of their children and the joy her fellow nurses took in working with her. The church offered a lovely reception in the chapel following the service. The family extends thanks to cousins Ross and Mary Frances Zachary, Lea Zachary Bowen, and John's supportive team at WBTV News in Charlotte for the lovely flowers.