Jerry Sparks

62, of Saint Petersburg, died Saturday, June 30, 2012, at Tampa General Hospital of complications resulting from a 14 year battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis Lung Disease while awaiting a lung transplant. Born in Austin, Texas, he came here in 1987 from Dallas, Texas. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture degrees. He was a registered architect in the state of Florida; a member of American Institute of Architects, Building Officials Association of Florida, Association of State Floodplain Managers and the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. He was a community leader serving both city and county governments in the cities of St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach and Sarasota and Hillsborough counties as Director of Building Services and Designated Building Official. Most recently he served FEMA's Atlanta Southeast Region as Hazard Mitigation Building Code Specialist and Performance Analysis Architect. He was preceded in death by his father, Norris Jerald Sparks (Sparky). He is survived by his loving wife, Melissa Sparks (Missy); his mother Dana Burrows Sparks and sister Holly Sparks Parker (Dave) of Little Rock, Arkansas; and sister Cheryl Sparks of Dallas, Texas; his nieces Jessica Parker Casey (Blake) and Rachel Parker Harding (Buddy); and his nephew David Dallas Parker of Little Rock, Arkansas. Jerry had a variety of interests besides serving others which included working on his Grand Banks boat and restoring his 1971 911E Porsche, gardening, traveling, the Caribbean, scuba diving and most recently snorkeling, antiquing and bicycling Fort De Soto Park. He loved his family, his home, classical music, his cats, Mac and Mary Maple and his dearest wife, Missy. There will be a gathering of friends from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and a celebration of Jerry's life at 11 a.m. on July 8 at Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home in St. Petersburg. Interment will be at Roselawn Memorial Park, Little Rock, Arkansas at a later date. Memorial donations may be made in Jerry's name to The College of Marine Science at The University of South Florida- St. Petersburg Campus or The Florida Orchestra.