Obituary of Sheila V. Sparling

Sheila Veronica Shea Sparling Sheila Sparling, who devoted her life to her family and the service of others, died Thursday, Sept. 22, at the age of 92. Sheila was the humble matriarch of her large family and beloved by everyone she crossed paths with. She was a wonderful, loving mother to her five daughters and a doting grandmother to her 8 grandchildren, and recent addition to the family, her great-granddaughter. Sheila also adored her five sons-in law like they were her own. She was born Dec. 9, 1929, in the Bronx, to Jeremiah and Nora O'Connor Shea. Sheila was raised on Brook Avenue in the South Bronx, in St. Luke's Parish, along with her sisters, Mary and Joan. The three sisters loved being with each other and had so many great times together. She married John Edward "Sparky" Sparling on Oct. 23, 1954, and in 1961 the couple relocated from the Bronx to Sunnyside, Queens. They settled happily into their new community, but in 1967 the family was devastated by John Sparling's sudden death. Sparky was the love of her life; she would never remarry. But with the help of her family and friends, she and her five daughters made it through. After having worked for Met Life before her marriage, Sheila worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield for many years, retiring in the 1980s. She loved her neighbors in Sunnyside and at Queen of Angels Catholic Church where she was active for five decades. Sheila left Sunnyside in 2007 to move to Ridge Oak Apartments in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. She never forgot Sunnyside but settled into her new community where she had many beloved friends and neighbors. The 15 years spent at Ridge Oak were among the happiest years of her life. Her last year was spent at McAuley Hall in Watchung, New Jersey where she was blessed by the presence of her favorite people - the nuns of the Catholic Church. The staff and residents' caring and kindness for Sheila was a great gift to her family. Sheila loved everything Irish. She loved to visit Ireland every opportunity she could. She especially loved her dear cousins from across the pond. She lived to a long-old age with the proper daily doses of bacon, butter and scratch off lottery tickets. Sheila is survived by her sister, Joan Crowley; her daughters and their husbands, Joan and Kevin Rice, Frances Sparling and Anthony DiMurro, Sheila and Matt Malecki, Mary and John Lange, and Patty Sparling and Jeff Shields; eight grandchildren, Kerry, Jennifer, Shannon and her husband Brian, Megan, Marykate, Morgan, Emma and John: one great-grandchild, Stevie; and many loving nieces and nephews and cousins. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her sister, Mary Wynne; her grandson, Timothy Lange; and her niece, Geraldine Crorkin. A viewing will be held Thursday, September 29, at Edward D. Lynch's Funeral Home in Sunnyside, Queens from 4-8 pm. Funeral Mass will be held Friday, September 30 at 10:30 am. She will be buried at St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx, next to her beloved husband. In lieu of flowers, friends and family are making donations in her honor to Ridge Oak Senior Housing Care Fund, 150 Manchester Drive, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920; or McAuley Hall Health Care Center, 1633 US Highway 22 West, Watchung, NJ 07069.