Harry M. Sparks Jr.

Harry M. Sparks Jr., 85, of Ryland Heights, Kentucky-a loving husband, father, and grandfather-passed away peacefully at his home on November 18, 2025.

He was born on September 28, 1940, in Evansville, Indiana, and grew up in Murray, Kentucky.

Harry lived at the crossroads of tradition and modernity-where respect for the past met a clear vision for what could be. It was at this intersection that he spent his life bringing people together: musicians, craftsmen, architects, competitors, family, and friends whose paths often converged because Harry created spaces-literal and figurative-where lasting bonds could form.

His architectural philosophy reflected this same instinct. Harry didn't just build houses; he built homes. His first question to clients was always,

"What should it feel like when you walk in the front door?"

That approach defined his work with Architectural Group International (AGI), the firm he founded; his designs for some of the country's earliest solar homes; and his influential ideas about accessible design. His paper on architecture for individuals with disabilities led to national speaking engagements and testimony before congressional committees, contributing to the broader thinking that informed the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Harry's craftsmanship extended naturally into luthiery. With steady hands and a deep understanding of wood and tone, he became one of the region's most trusted repairers of guitars, banjos, and mandolins. Through that work-and through his own talent and musicianship-he shared friendships and stages with Vince Gill, Sam Bush, and John Denver. Music was another crossroads in his life, where craft and community met in equal measure.

He attended Murray State before joining the University of Cincinnati's DAAP program, where both faculty and his brothers in Pi Kappa Alpha recognized his drive and talent.

Harry also distinguished himself as a competitive muzzle-loading rifle shooter. He earned gold medals at the Zone Championship in Portland, Oregon, in 1997, and at the world competition in Australia in 2008. In 2025, he was inducted into the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association Hall of Fame, a milestone that meant a great deal to him. Twice a year in Friendship, Indiana, he gathered with friends, family, and fellow shooters for days of competition and evenings of music and conversation-traditions that became one of the defining threads of his life.

Harry was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Lois Sparks; his sister, Susan Nutter; and his brother-in-law, John Nutter. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Carol Sparks; his children, Hal (Summer Soltis) Sparks and Jill (Shannon) Ethington; his brother, Phillip (Katherine) Sparks; and his beloved grandson, Camden Harrison Sparks. He was a founder of AGI, a member of Ryland Lakes Country Club since 2004, an NMLRA Hall of Fame inductee (2025), and retired from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

A celebration of Harry's life will be held on Friday, December 5, 2025, from 4–7 PM at Ryland Lakes Country Club. Memorial contributions may be made to the College Education & Charitable Foundation William R Nester Alpha Xi Endowed Scholarship Fund 4010 Executive Park Drive Suite 100 Cincinnati, OH 45241 or to the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (Attention: Dana Walton, P.O. Box 67, Friendship IN 47021.)

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