Norman Sparre

OSTERVILLE — Norman Joseph Sparre, husband of Karen and father of Allie, spent all of his life in and near the water. Born in Hingham on the harbor, he moved with his parents and sister Heidi (Schmid) to Scituate and lived by a pond. A second sister Dorey (Cardinale) and his parents spent eleven years in that location. The family moved to Cape Cod where his grandmother Lillian had moved to and his uncle Stanley, a well-known bird carver, lived and worked. Norman's parents, artist Barbara and Richard Sparre, purchased a home in New Seabury and the children attended school in Mashpee. After three years the family moved to Cotuit and had a gallery where Regatta Restaurant now stands. He helped restore the Old Colonial. Norman did some painting with his dad and showed real talent but his focus became building and woodcraft, and when the new Cape Cod Tech opened in Harwich he chose to continue his high school education there. Under the guidance of a wonderful instructor, he built a Grand Banks Dory and set himself on a course of life with boatbuilding and maintenance. Working at Crosby Yacht and Hyannis Marine, he developed his fine art and was sought after for his excellent craftsmanship.

He will be missed greatly by his wife Karen; daughter Allie; mother Barbara; aunts Ruth and Edy; and uncles Stanley, Edward, and Donald; niece Nina; brother-in-law Vince; and grandmother Mollie. His many friends knew him to be a gentle giant who loved life, beaches, family and being on the water. "Sail on Dear Norman."

Visiting hours will be in the John-Lawrence Funeral Home, 3778 Falmouth Road (Rte. 28), Marstons Mills, Mass., on Sunday August 29, 2010 from 1 to 3 p.m. A Funeral Service will follow at 3 p.m. in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Gosnold Inc., 200 Ter Huen Dr., Falmouth, MA 02537.