Tucker Sparkman

Tucker Sparkman passed away quietly late July 2024 in Seattle, cared for by the wonderful Foss Memory Care Unit & Rosewood staff, and surrounded by immediate & extended family. He had struggled with FTD valiantly & with grace for some time, particularly in the last 3 years. He was born in Seattle’s Doctors Hospital in 1949 – a descendant of a local settler family in the west Lake Union/Fremont neighborhood—of medical parents, Don & Peg Sparkman, a cardiologist & master gardener, & a retired RN & environmental advocate, respectively. The family based in Seattle, moved to Olympia for 6 years but continued to spend many happy summers on Sunlight Beach.

He attended UNM & UW for his B.S. after getting certified as an EMT & in solar energy. He design-built a passive solar greenhouse with his brother on the family’s Whidbey house. He worked on the state nutrition survey for Dr. Labbé of UW Lab Medicine in college & was the first courier for Community Services/UW Lab Medicine, where he continued to work through his career, managing the courier service for much of it. 

He had many adventures on the way to his college degree, spending a musical period in L.A., following the Stones, Bob Marley, John Fogarty & Clifton Chenier among others. He was a community builder & enjoyed rallying family for Polar Bear Plunges, school friends from CWA & OHS wrestling team for reunions & helped organize staff gatherings, notably at Lincoln Park. He stayed loyal to the PNW, missing mightily the waters & bays that he grew up on in Olympia & Seattle, after testing life in L.A. & Albuquerque—but had great memories & adventures in both places. He cherished his childhood & high school friends & close dorm mate from early college years & advocated for his busy courier crew. He was beyond proud of his son & loved skiing, camping & hiking expeditions with him. 

In the 80's he took classes in NW carving & design from Bill Holm & Duane Pasco, & produced some fine work. A music lover, he played guitar & wrote songs which he recorded in collaboration with his band, The Holy Crows & left stacks of lyrics which he wrote over the years in class notebooks & on clipboards. In late 2021 he finalized recordings @ Garey Shelton’s Mercer Island recording studio, for a 2nd album: Steal the Moon. Also a member of the People’s Rhythm Party, from the 90’s well into Y2K, he applied for performance time at Folklife for both the PRP & Holy Crows for a decade.

Tuck is much missed by his wife of 45 years, Nina, his son Gerrit (Kaitlyn) & grandson; his siblings, Deb (Håkan), Dave (Betty), Maggie (Jim), & beloved nieces & nephews, losing both parents at the end of the 20th century. 

Celebration of Life, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, 2pm at Epiphany Parish, 1805 38th Ave, Seattle, WA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are welcomed at: Earth Justice, Trust for Public Land, American Indian College Fund, FeedTheChildren.org, DoctorsWithoutBorders.org, or a charity dear to your heart.

For more information, contact: nchambers7@comcast.net