Sondra Spark

1940 - 2025

Sondra G. "Sparky" Spark, 85, of Albany, passed away at the Samaritan Albany General Hospital in Albany, OR.

The daughter of George and Lottie (Abrams) Spark, she was born in Spokane, WA, and lived in many states as well as Argentina as part of her father's military career. She graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor's in Education in 1966 and also completed a Bachelor's in Fine Arts with an emphasis in puppetry from the University of Washington in 1980. Continuing her education was important to her as she amassed many graduate credits from a variety of sources.

An avid artist and teacher, Sondra taught in multiple schools and grades across Western Washington and the US territory of Guam. While working in Guam, she also visited many other Pacific nations, including Palau, Chuuk, Japan, and Hong Kong. The cultures of the Pacific were something she continued to appreciate and enjoy for the rest of her life. She also appreciated Mexican art and culture. She worked to foster creativity and a love of art in everyone she met and taught. She worked with many media, from fabric to paint to colored pencils. She loved beadmaking and jewelry making. In her final days, she continued to create, painting a wonderful piece as homage to wildland firefighters.

Sondra is survived by her sister, Pat Spark; niece Kjerstin Spark-Stahl; nephew, George Spark-Stahl (Bethany Steiner), grandniece, Penelope Spark-Stahl and grandnephew, Sebastian Spark-Stahl. She was preceded by her parents and by her brother-in-law, John Stahl.

The family asks that mourners honor Sondra's legacy by leaving the world a more beautiful place than they found it and enjoying a chocolate milkshake in her memory.