Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.
Yesterday, we lost a very dear friend and family member. Dustin’s grandfather, W. Joseph Sparks, died this morning after a longtime battle with cancer.
Joe was a very loving, kind and generous person, and we will miss him very much. Dustin has taken many of his core values and attitudes toward life from his grandfather. He has always striven to be the same kind of person Joe was. From the moment you walked into the door at Joe’s house, you knew you were family. He always treated the people he met as if it were the last day he would see them.
He made sure you felt loved and cared for, even when you were there to make sure he was taking care of himself.
I will always remember Joe the most for what I call the “Sparks sense of humor,” a quirky and witty on-the-spot word turn that is very unique and fun. Dustin, his father and his uncles all have the same sense of humor, and it stems directly from Joe.
The quote above is from Dr. Seuss, and I think it best describes the way Joe would want us to feel. He loved to see the members of his family through their achievements and successes, and he wanted to be there for the best and worst days of our lives. I know he’ll still be with us in our hearts as we all continue to grow, live and love. Our hearts today are in mourning, but our minds are sifting through all the happy times we shared with Joe.
