Randy Sparks

Our dad wanted to know every detail about our lives — and the lives of his grandchildren. His regular calls always included questions about school, sports, and work, and often ended with an invitation to lunch, a pancake breakfast, or some other spontaneous gathering. If we didn’t have an immediate answer for him, he’d say, “Give me a full report.” So here it is — the full report on this amazing man we loved so very much.

Randy Sparks was born and raised on Jefferson Avenue in Covington, Kentucky, to his wonderful parents, Mabel and Fred Sparks. He attended St. Mary’s Elementary School and Covington Catholic High School, then went on to achieve the proud distinction of being both the first in his family to graduate college and a member of the very first graduating class of Thomas More College. While there’s some debate about how many classes he actually attended, he did earn his degree in Accounting and soon took the bus to Cincinnati in search of a job. He only put in one application, and got back on the bus. Shortly after, he was called in for an interview. In a room full of applicants, when someone asked, “Who here has a college degree?”, he proudly raised his hand — and was hired on the spot. That launched an almost 20 year career at 5/3 that began in the trust department and ultimately led to him becoming Vice President of Operations. He later founded a successful consulting firm that employed many and left a lasting mark on banks across the country.

He met Mary Lou in college, and together they shared 56 beautiful years of marriage, five children, and ten beloved grandchildren.

That alone is an impressive résumé — but not the full report. Because the story of Randy Sparks isn’t just about what he did, but how he did it and who he was.

Randy was a fixer. A problem-solver. He was analytical, logical, practical, and incredibly driven. He could break down any challenge into a series of steps — and somehow, it always worked. Like the day, 55 years ago, when this heavy smoker decided to see if he could go the rest of the day without a cigarette. When he did, he told himself, “Well, today has to be easier than yesterday.” That was it. Three packs a day to cold turkey.

He was particular. He liked what he liked — few shades of gray. Still, his daughters’ sense of adventure sometimes nudged him out of his comfort zone. We all knew his favorites: coffee with lots of cream, White Castles with lots of onions, bourbon with lots of ice, and Raisin Bran… without the raisins. He loved spending his days investing and had an account for each grandchild. With that came hours of watching the stock channel each day. That drove us all crazy, but we put up with it just like we put up with his obsession with finding a good deal. No one could convince him that Sam’s Club was not the only place to buy his clothes. We also knew what he didn’t like, not responding immediately to his text was definitely at the top of his list.

Music was always playing when he was around — his soundtrack was filled with the likes of Billy Joel, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and especially Willie Nelson. He passed that taste on to us, and we’ll carry it with us always. As Hank would say, “It’s a family tradition.”

He had two great passions outside of family: baseball and fishing. He was a talented pitcher in his youth, once throwing a no-hitter, and he and Mary Lou were life long devoted Reds fans. They rarely missed a game, and Randy frequently attended spring training. He coached Little League for years, building a legendary team whose now-middle-aged players are still proud to have worn the jersey.

His love for fishing defies description — and sometimes, our understanding. He made over 50 trips to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, chasing smallmouth bass, often with multiple generations in tow. What started as an annual trip with a few friends turned into a growing tradition with sons, grandsons, and friends-of-friends joining in. Once you went, you were hooked. He also fished offshore with his cousin John, a commercial fisherman in Key West — nothing could stop them from rising at 2 a.m. to chase yellowtail, not even a late night out.

Randy loved bringing people together. He hosted legendary fish fries (no one could clean a fish like he could), initiated the annual Sparks Soup Challenge (which he ironically never won — though we all knew he was the best cook), and held nearly monthly pancake breakfasts once the grandkids arrived. He planned weekly lunches with his kids and never missed a chance to have a good cookout.

He and Mary Lou planned family vacations and built cherished vacation homes in Florida and at the lake — gathering places where all 22 of us could come together. It wasn’t always easy to coordinate that many schedules, but he reminded us, time and again, that at the end of the day, family is what matters most. And so, we made the time.

Randy was also an adventurer. He loved to travel with friends to racetracks and baseball stadiums, attend the Little League World Series, and he visited 49 states and several countries. He made lasting memories traveling through Europe with his daughters and granddaughters — although, handing over his credit card in NYC so they could “do a little shopping” while he napped in the hotel was maybe not his wisest move.

With five kids and ten grandkids, you’d think it would be hard to make each person feel special — but he did. He rarely missed a game, recital, or event, and if he couldn’t be there in person, he was watching the livestream from home. He was the king of dad jokes, asking grandkids, “Is that water wet?” and telling the girls, “Don’t talk to any boys!” before every outing. On our first day of work, he’d ask if we’d been promoted yet. At every event, he’d proclaim his granddaughter the prettiest girl there.

He had a sixth sense for knowing what each of us needed — whether it was a push, a cheer, or space to figure it out on our own. He was the calm to our chaos, and the chaos to our seriousness. Always intuitive, always loving.

Randy Sparks gave us a beautiful life. We are endlessly proud to be his family and grateful for the years we shared. His was a life lived fully — filled with love, laughter, and legacy.

And THAT, is the full report.

On 7/30/25, Randy passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, as he finally got tired of waiting for the Reds to win another World Series.

Randy was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Mabel (Johnson) Sparks, and daughter Shannon. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou (Bosse), Daughters - Stacie Boemerman (Mike), Stephanie Harris (Tyler), Michelle Sparks (Jeff Conway), Sons – Steve (Kelly) and Ryan (Nicole), Grandchildren – Sydney and Will Sparks, Lila and Amelia Boemerman, Annie, Kate and Emma Harris, Charlotte Conway, Henry and Lucy Sparks, and his sister Jennifer Nordman. Randy also leaves an amazing group of close friends that added tremendously to the color and joy of his life.

A funeral mass will be held at Mother of God Church in Covington on Friday, August 29 at 12pm and we hope that many will join us to celebrate the life of Randy after the mass. Details to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Randy's memory are suggested to the Kenny & Brian Williams Fund, PO Box 17105 Covington, Kentucky 41017 or the Bob Wermeling Memorial Scholarship Fund to Holy Cross High School, 3617 Church Street Covington, Kentucky 41015.