Patricia Sparkman
Groton Long Point — Patricia “Pat” Keane Sparkman of Groton Long Point passed peacefully at home the evening of May 15, 2020, with loving family and friends by her side. She was 88 years young.
Born April 24, 1932, daughter of Robert Joseph and
Marie Rowan Keane, Pat married her high school sweetheart, John “Jack” Cornelius Sparkman, the youngest son of Drake of the yacht design firm, Sparkman & Stephens and a partner in the Wall Street law offices of Carter Ledyard & Milburn. She and Jack grew up two doors down on Byron Lane in Larchmont, N.Y., and raised their family in Bronxville and Edgemont, N.Y.
In 1998, they retired to the beautiful community of Groton Long Point (GLP), and continued to follow their wanderlust aboard their Dyer 29 Eclipse, with expansive driving trips across the United States and kayaking in Mumford Cove. Before he died, Jack encouraged the love of his life, Pat, to continue to travel and enjoy her life fully; and from 2008 through 2019, Pat made marvelous trips to Alaska and the Northwest Passage, Brazil, Argentina, Chile — including the Straits of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego — India, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Paris, London, Ireland and, in the U.S., to Charleston, S.C., Savannah, Ga., Philadelphia, Pa., Red Rock Canyon, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. We had calls and emails from all over the world.
In the GLP community, Pat cherished and was cherished by her many friends. She was a passionate supporter of the Mystic Garden Club, the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and protection of the local marshlands and environment. Profoundly significant was Patricia’s contribution as founder of Family Ties of Westchester, the grassroots advocacy group for parents and caregivers of children with behavioral challenges. The Family Ties model has become a national paradigm for mental health transformation. At functions in her honor, she has been compared to Rosa Parks, and as “a leader of the quiet forces that change major things,” in this case, the public mental health system.
She is survived by her children, Susan Sparkman-Sperandio, John C. Sparkman and Paul H. Sparkman; and three beloved grandchildren, Barrett, Noah and Truett Sparkman; and a baby girl on the way in August.
Due to the COVID-19 quarantine, a memorial is planned for the spring 2021. The family is beyond grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and community and the many wonderful cards, flowers, books, quilts, videos and expressions of love.
In lieu of flowers, please donate in her name to: “Family Ties of Westchester,” http://familytieswestchester.org or Family Ties of Westchester, 112 East Post Road, 3rd Floor, White Plains, NY 10604. To share a message of remembrance with her family, please visit www. dinotofuneral.com.