Richard Eugene "Dick" or "Sprink" Sprinkle

Retired from Canlis’ Restaurant  after 38 years, Dick was known as Canlis’ original charismatic and iconic parking valet with a photographic memory for names.  Affectionately nicknamed "Sprink" by his lifelong buds, he played Husky football (1948-50) and semi-pro football with the Seattle Ramblers (1950-52);  graduated from the University of Washington School of Business in 1950.  A WWII Second Marine Division vet, avid golfer, world traveler, and loving parent and husband, Dick touched the lives of everyone with whom he came into contact, even as a youngster growing up on West Queen Ann in the 30’s and 40’s in Seattle, WA.
Dick is survived by Barbara, his loving wife of 57 years, daughters Shauna Sprinkle of Denver and Julie of Seattle, son-in-law Mark Nerheim of Seattle, and grandson Dustin Buck of Boulder, CO. 
Born in Weiser, Idaho on May 17, 1925 Dick’s family moved to Queen Ann Hill in Seattle, WA in 1928. The depression years were stressful on the family financially and during his teens he worked part-time jobs to help support the family and assisted with caring for his severely diabetic mother.  Dick  nevertheless had an amazing childhood growing up on Queen Ann.  The 2nd youngest of 4 children Dick was very close with his siblings.  Mentored by his older brothers Bill and  Don Sprinkle, Sprink possessed a passion for sports and particularly football that remained  with him for a lifetime.  Throughout his schooldays at Queen Anne middle and high schools he was a well-known sports figure in the Seattle area lettering in varsity football, basketball, and baseball, and was quarterback of the Queen Ann Grizzlies.  Coached by John Cherberg (who later became the Lt. Gov. of Wash.) the  Grizzlies  were the “undefeated city champs of ‘42.”  Sprink often attended class reunions as he treasured  lifelong friendships with former classmates and often affectionately reminisced about them over the years.
Graduating from Queen Ann  in June of ‘43 at the onset of WWII, he eagerly enlisted in the Marines.  His regiment (44th) saw action in the Pacific in the 2nd Marine Division and  he served in the first assault wave invasion of Saipan and later on,  in Tinian and  Okinawa  (’43-46).    He turned down a position on the Marine Corps football team to do his patriotic duty in the war effort but had second thoughts when his first assault wave launched ashore on foot in Saipan with Japanese artillery fire, tanks, and mortar exploding all around him.  That was on D-Day.  At the end of the war he participated in the 2nd wave arrival of Marines in Nagasaki.  He would return to Saipan over 50 years later with his wife Barbara on one of their many international trips.  He later joined  the Second Marine Division Association as a means of maintaining contact with comrades from his mortar platoon and others in the 2nd Division by attending  reunions held throughout the U.S.
Immediately following the war Dick attended the University of Washington on the GI bill and would graduate in 1950.  It was at the U. W. that he joined Phi Delta Theta fraternity and also continued to pursue his love of football as a linebacker and holder for the Huskies.  Sports followed him:  He became #48-legendary place-kick holder to his buddy Jim Rosenzweig on the ’49 and ’50 Husky team along with team mates Don Heinrich and Hugh McElhany.  His Queen Ann coach, Johnny Cherberg who had been an inspiration for Dick, was then Assistant Coach of the Huskies.
After college (1950-52) Sprink was place-kicker for a semi-professional  football team, the Seattle Ramblers, that was coached by his brother Don Sprinkle (who later became sheriff of King County).  Dick treasured the camaraderie of many former school buddies who were also on the team.  Dick also helped his brother Don coach for Queen Ann at this time.  Per author Don Ridge, “Take a Lap,”  “Don Sprinkle’s Ramblers were widely known for their ruggedness, good sportsmanship, and clean play.” 
Shortly before Dick’s death he attended a 2nd reunion of former and current Husky football players and was recognized in a Seattle Times article as being among the 2 oldest former Huskies to attend!   Bob Condotta, sports columnist  for The Seattle Times wrote:  “The players who came . . spanned eight decades of Huskies football, including the likes of halfback Dick Sprinkle (1948-50) and quarterback Bob Schloredt (‘58-60).”  Dick was a lifetime member of the Big W Club for former Husky lettermen and the Phi Delta Theta Alumni Assn.
During his stint at the U.W. Dick met his wife Barbara Kathleen Kallstrom from Edmonds while working  in a cannery in Ballard. They married in 1951 and bought their first Lake Washington-front home on Edgewater Lane and started a family.  While recently perusing family memorabilia we came across an invitation Dick received to play NFL football for the New York Yanks in 1951.  He never completed and returned the application.  That was the year he and Barbara would be married.  Shauna was born in 1954 and Julie in 1957.  He dabbled in the boat industry and sold Century boats.  Later he became president of Trampolines of Washington.  In 1958 they designed their new house and settled on Holmes Point near Kirkland where he and Barbara resided for 50 years. His family enjoyed many fun-filled memories of lakefront community living.  Barbara  and Dick enjoyed many beautiful sunsets together in their lifelong home on Lake Washington.    Dick is a legend on another  field as well as on the playing field:   the Canlis’ Restaurant parking lot on Aurora Ave.  in Seattle.  Dick is probably best known by more “mature”  Seattleites for his famous memory of names, faces and their cars. As described in one of many newspaper articles about him over the years, his unusual career began as a part-time job for one day.  In 1950, when Peter Canlis opened his new restaurant he asked John Cherberg, then Assistant Coach of the Huskies to send him several players to park cars on opening night.   Dick never left the parking lot and retired nearly 38 years later having relied solely on tips for a living.  He had a reputation in Seattle for relying on memory alone to personally greet each guest by name and would amaze them by  having their car magically awaiting  as they were leaving.   He has been called “Parking Attendant Extraordinaire” in the Seattle Times.  An ad for Canlis’ read:  “Unlimited engagement:  Dick Sprinkle at 5 in the parking lot, dinner until 11:30, piano bar ‘til 12:30.“  
Dick is honored on the Canlis’ website:  “. . .I honor some of the Canlis’ legends, people who laid the foundation upon which we now stand.  . . I  hope we’ve not stopped learning the lessons they taught us.  Were it all to start over I would have listened more. . . watched more. . .  made myself in the likeness of them for they were champions of a forgotten age, a forgotten wisdom, a forgotten beauty . . . Mr. Sprinkle brought a charisma, photographic memory, and charm that would serve him well in his 40 years at Canlis.  In all that time, he never gave a valet ticket and nary a guest made it out the door without their car being already there to greet them.  Dick is the creator of the legendary Canlis valet service.”

 Dick’s family was the center of his life. Always desiring to travel to see the world and to pursue his love of history he took us on many memorable road trips to Canada, Mexico, and of course, nearly every national park in  the U.S.  The most amazing  trip was an itinerary that included visiting 37 states in 30 days in our 1966 2-door red and white Plymouth Fury convertible with no a/c in July of ‘68.   Since Dick was self-employed  and very thrifty he hesitated to take longer than 30 days off of work.  But his dream of traveling  globally became a reality when his daughter, Shauna became a flight attendant  for United and he and Barbara could fly for free.   Over the years  they  visited the Soviet Union, throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Africa,  Asia, China, Japan, Australia, Central America, and the Middle East.  His retirement was spent traveling the world with Barb and playing golf .  He loved to recount the tales of their adventures together.    A fabulous golfer, he played his last game with Barbara in 2005 but his vision was rapidly deteriorating due to macular degeneration. No longer had a handicap of 12 but loved the game.   A terrific cook, he was most famous for his tamale pie recipe.  He will always hold a special place in our hearts.
In his later years he had a passion for watching Formula 1 car racing.  He joined the Ferrari club and fulfilled a life dream in 2000 by attending the inaugural US Grand Prix at Indianapolis Speedway.  Later in 2002 he and his son-in-law Mark  jetted to Montreal to see the Canadian Grand Prix on the spur of the moment..  The one event that eluded him was the Grand Prix of Monaco.  He made watching the Grand Prix racing a ritual and would often rise at 4am to catch a live race.                                                                                                                    .      Dick passed away  in his home on Jan. 17, ‘08 at age 82, two  months or so after a diagnosis of  large B-cell non-hodgkins lymphoma.   He joins his parents, dear sister and brothers Kaye, Don, and Bill who already left this world years ago.  When he passed on Mom found his travel bag packed for his next adventure.  We hope his wanderlust spirit continues to travel  to sites he didn’t get to in this life!  A kind and loving man Daddy will be missed by all whose lives he touched with his quiet strength, gentle humor, kindness, and cheerful zest for life.
Donations may be made in Dick’s honor to the seattleymca.org or to any non-profit or charity of your choosing.  Our  family would treasure any memories, photos or stories about Daddy you may wish to share in his online memory book.  We also invite you to view "Sprink's Sentimental Journey," a slideshow of his life.  A military flag ceremony will be held at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington on Jan. 8, 2010 at 12:30pm.



Born: May 17, 1925 in Born, Weiser, ID; resided Kirkland, WA USA

Died: Jan 17, 2008 in Kirkland, WA, USA