It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of John Oakley Sparry at the age of 91 years. John was born in the village of Wheatenhurst, County of Gloucestershire, England on March 7 , 1924. He lived in the village of Longney where he spent many hours after school and on weekends working at The Manor Farm milking cows and delivering milk to the villagers with a cart and pony. He enjoyed fishing on the River Severn for a local delicacy called Elvers.
At the age of eighteen, John enlisted in the British Army Transport division, testing and delivering troop transport trucks to the southeast coast for delivery overseas as part of the war effort to defeat the German invasion of France.
It was while stationed at Castle Ashby on North Hamptionshire, requishioned by the army for truck testing that he met and married his wife of seventy one years, Peggy Corbyn, who was also a truck driver. Even though it was wartime, they enjoyed many romantic and humorous escapades. In 1946 John was part of the British Army of the Rhine helping fight German resistance in Austria and Italy. Also in 1946 John and Peggy’s son Andrew was born and in 1949 their daughter Dawn.
From 1947 to 1957, John was employed by the Milk Marketing Board as an artificial insemination technician, breeding over 40,000 cows during that time. In 1957, John and family immigrated to Brooks where he was employed as the first A.I. technician with the new EID A.I. Co-op. In 1970 John and Peggy started East Anglia Breeding Centre and operated it until 1987.
In 1989, John was recognised by Canadian Association of Animal Breeders for breeding (A.I.) 100,000 cows during thirty years. In 1990, he was the first recipient of the Newell Holstein Clubs Distinguished Service Award for contributing to the genetic improvement of dairy and beef herds in the County of Newell.
In retirement John enjoyed gardening, watching formula one racing and always reading up on bull pedigrees, EPDs and development of new breeding bulls and herds.
John was predeceased by his parents Charles and Margaret Sparry of Longney, England, brother Lawrence of Longney, sisters Zena Lovell of Elmore Back and Oona Gray of Quedgley England and loving wife Peggy.
He is survived by their son Andrew and wife Lori, and daughter Dawn Ball and her husband Reggie, grandchildren Chris and Stephanie Ball of Vegerville, David Ball of Brooks, Cory and Jori Sparry (children Adisen, Aubree and Ashby) of Metamora Illinois, Duncan and Jemma Ball (children Dexter, Sacha and Reuban) of Murry Harbour, P.E.I, Suzy and Darwin Chambers (children Halle and Beckett) Amberley and Sean Stanford (son Huxley) of Magrath and Caylee Sparry of Cochrane. Also sisters Gloria Silvey of Longney, and Myrtle Dawe of Stonehouse ,England as well as numerous nieces and nephews in England.
Funeral services were held Saturday Jan 30 at Smith Funeral Home Chapel with the very Reverend Ken Well officiating. Memorial donations may be made to the Brooks Health Center Kidney Dialysis Machine Fund.
