Elaine Sparlin

Elaine Evans Sparlin, 79, died in her home in Saturday 7/31/2010 at 12 noon of Cancer. A daughter of Evelyn and Lewis M. Evans, and sister to Richard R. Evans, she was born in San Francisco, CA, October 12, 1930 where her father owned a barber shop on O’Farrell Street. The family soon moved from San Francisco to Palo Alto, where her father worked on Liberty ship steam engines and torpedo launchers in Sunnyvale for the war effort. But her father’s health failed and the family moved to Vernal, Utah where it was hoped he would recover. In Vernal the family took over a gas station where Elaine worked with her father pumping gas and sweeping up. The two were inseparable. Elaine also helped her mother as a substitute teacher at the local elementary school where her mother worked as a full time teacher. Elaine excelled at school and matriculated into Brigham Young University. While at BYU Elaine won the BYU Banyon Queen Beauty contest. The crown was bestowed upon her by John Robert Powers, a well known name in the modeling world, and was offered a modeling career with the Ford Modeling agency. Elaine decided to be and wife and a mother instead. While at BYU she met Jess Bromley. The two were married in the Salt Lake Mormon Temple, October 18, 1950. A few months later Jess left for England where he served for the Mormon Church on a two year mission. In the mean time Elaine worked at United States Steel as a secretary and saved money so that she could meet her husband in England after his mission. She saved enough to sail to England on the Queen Mary and the two spent one month together on their honeymoon traveling around Europe. They returned on the Queen Elizabeth. Upon returning Jess enrolled in Medical school. After finishing medical school the couple moved to Oakland California where Jess did his residency in the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital. Elaine, who was pregnant at the time, went with her husband and three of her children when Jess was stationed in Japan. Two of the children were toddlers and one was an infant just barely 1 year old. Elaine returned to the United States just in time to have her fourth child. All four of their children, David, Lynne, Richard and Susan were born at the Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, where Jess served 4 years. Elaine worked in many capacities over her lifetime. Prior to being married, Elaine worked as a school teacher, a waitress, a gas station attendant at her father’s gas station, a secretary to the President of BYU, and in 1952 a secretary at United States Steel plant in Utah. Elaine and Jess divorced in 1972 and Elaine did not re-marry until 2003. In that time she opened two businesses, Bromley Interiors and later Golden Door Real Estate where she worked as a Real Estate Broker. Remarkably, at 60 she returned to school and earned her Gemologists License as well. Shortly after that she moved to Tucson Arizona, to join her eldest son David to develop real estate. Elaine was an avid gardener and loved excursions with her many friends to beautiful places. Having previously been a docent at the San Francisco Opera she loved music and was an accomplished pianist as well. Elaine’s lasting beauty and kindness was only surpassed by her generosity and large laugh. It was said that Elaine could fill a room with her laugh and it was impossible not to be swept into her sense of humor. In addition Elaine was known for her outspokenness and candor and her opinions were often sought and valued by friends and colleagues. She conveyed the value of integrity and responsibility and lead by example to the end. Elaine was a magnet. Her charm and her beauty and most of all her kindness and lovingness drew people to her. She touched many and many will miss her and love her forever. Elaine’s greatest source of pride were her four successful children. Elaine is survived by her four children, David E. Bromley, Lynne B. Kite, Richard E. Bromley, Susan E. Bromley and her seven grandchildren, Andrea Fronk, Robert Kite, Taylor Luttrell Deeds, Grace Bromley, Francis Bromley, Jackie Bromley and two great grandchildren Ashira Fronk and Ethan Fronk. She is also survived by her husband Derry Sparlin who currently resides in McAllen, Texas.