Learn more about: Steve L Sparks!

Steve L Sparks, 79, of Round Rock, Texas, passed on June 10, 2022. Steve was born on August 01, 1942.

The Beginning

Steve L. Sparks was a man of adventure. He grew up living on Native American reservations and, later, in a sod house in rural Nebraska in the 1940s and 1950s.

As a boy, Steve was clever and always sought to learn something new. During the 1950's he became interested in electronics and radio and built crystal radios in the barn on the farm where he lived. Later in his teens, Steve taught himself Morse code and passed the novice amateur radio test administered by the FCC in 1952. After that, he built his first transceiver and studied electronics.

Steve graduated from Naper Nebraska High School in 1960 with a class size of about a dozen students. After graduation, his grandfather drove him to live with his uncle Walt Serr near Los Angeles, California, where he worked with Walt building and designing pools.

Career Life

Steve would eventually get his general contractor’s license and start his own pool building business. Steve met Kathy Riley in 1961, and they married on October 31, 1962.

Kathy and Steve lived in Garden Grove, California, where they had two sons, Steven (1968) and Rodney (1970).

They would also later have a son Jason (1979), while living in Round Rock, Texas.

While Steve was building pools, he studied Electrical Engineering at West Coast University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. After graduation, Steve worked as an electronics technician and then eventually started to work for Motorola.

During the late 1970s, Steve and his family of 4 moved to Round Rock, Texas, to continue working with Motorola in the Microprocessor and Semiconductor business in Austin, Texas. Steve played many roles at Motorola in a senior leadership role. These included the 6800 Microprocessor and memory portion of the business. During the 1980's he actively supported the semiconductor industry, including testifying to congress on fair trade practices. During this time, he also worked for Intel in San Jose, California, with legendary Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. After some time in San Jose, the Sparks family moved back to Texas, where Steve again worked for Motorola. Later he worked at Thomson-Mostek Semiconductor in Dallas and rose to the ranks of Senior Vice President at AT&T electronics in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After some years at AT&T, he moved back to Round Rock, where he retired from Wyle Electronics (or Arrow) in 2003.

Ham Radio

During the 1990s, Steve's passion for Amateur Radio was excited again as a licensed operator. He received the FCC call signs AB5SV, N5SV, and WK5S. Steve was very active in the Amateur Radio Community locally and nationally. During his time in Round Rock, he was a member of the Austin Amateur Radio Club and, most recently, Central Texas DX & Contest Club, and the Williamson County Amateur Radio Club. Steve is a life member of the ARRL as WK5S. Nationally, he was a member of the 3905 Century Club. WK5S was President of the 3905 Century Club from 1999 to 2001. He was also an Area Award Manager, Awards Committee member, Net Coordinator, and Vice President, and he chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee from 2002 to 2004.

During the most active phases of Steve's adventures in Ham Radio, he had a hundred and seven-foot tower in his front yard on High Country Blvd in Round Rock! You could see the tower for miles and miles as it stood on the top of a hill, where you can also find a large water tower today. In addition, Steve contacted thousands of other amateurs in all 50 states, Canadian provinces, and many countries across the globe. Steve had dozens of awards in Amateur Radio, working from his home and a vehicle in almost all of the continental 48 states.

Steve shared a passion for Amateur Radio with his son Steven, licensed as (KB5RSY, W1SSS) KK0SS, and his grandson, who is also Steven and licensed as KB0JET.

Retirement to the Roads

In recent years, Steve sold his home and moved to a trailer where he traveled to visit friends and family. He based his daily adventures from Palm Valley in Round Rock. He was an active and dedicated member of Palm Valley Lutheran Church in Round Rock. As a member of this church, Steve was at one time part of the Stephen Ministry and served as part of the services working to manage the offerings. During the pandemic of 2020 and 2021, he continued to worship remotely with his church and then returned to in-person worship in 2021.

Adventures with Sons

During the 1980s, Steve was active in the local Austin Skeet Shooting competitions. Steve and his son Rodney would spend their weekends competing in local and 4H Shooting competitions in Austin, around Texas, and nationally. Steve had achieved some high honors in shooting and would often shoot perfect 100 out of 100 in competitions.

Steve and his son Jason took a long road trip in 1993.

They were traveling and got caught in what the National Weather Service called the "1993 Super Storm". They drove from Pennsylvania to Texas and got stuck in the storm between Nashville and Memphis. They spent hours with thousands of others inching along the highway as more than a foot of snow had fallen. It took them more than 8 hours to travel the 200 miles along IH-40.

Uniquely Steve

Steve was a renaissance man. With an impressive IQ and memory, he would always give 150% to any topic or skill that caught his interest—an avid reader of technical, fiction, and non-fiction literature. He would often have tall stacks of books in his home, many stacks for those he read and those he was going to read. He was also always designing electronic circuits and was a copious notetaker. When you looked around Steve's home, you would find slips of paper with electronic circuits and small notebooks with his lists of ideas, today's plans, and yesterday's items marked off his list.

Most recently, Steve was close with several fellow ham radio operators in Williamson County. He would regularly meet them for lunch at a local pizza restaurant and spend time talking about their favorite hobby and local events. In addition, the small group often took trips to Ham Radio festivals in Texas and sometimes to Dayton, Ohio. Steve was proud of his BBQ and, from time to time, made pork ribs and his famous baked beans for his friends at ham radio events.

Fishing Poles and Campfires

Steve had as many fishing poles as he did radios and electronics. He loved to fish with his boys and, more recently, would visit his brother-in-law Gary and brother-in-law Eldon and nephews to camp and fish. They would often catch dozens of fish and have a spectacular fish fry staying up late playing their guitars and singing around the campfire.

The trip had become a tradition, and Steve just missed the trip this year. He loved to travel north from Texas to visit Aunt Donna and stay with his nephew as he made his way to his sisters for the annual trip.

World Traveler

Steve was well-traveled. He spent time all over Asia as part of his work in the semiconductor industry but also loved the long drive by himself or with his sons to visit unique places and family. When he traveled with Steven, they would often drive while one was sleeping and switch drivers to make the most of time and get there as soon as possible.

You could often tell Steve was on the road when you could see his large Ham Antenna (at one point, it was 17 feet) on the back of his 4x4 pickup or Suburban, depending on the decade. He even visited his son living in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2011, remarking on the challenge of living in a place far away from Steven's previous residence.

Family and Friends

Steve L. Sparks was dearly loved and admired and will be missed by his extended family and friends. He is survived by his sons, Steven (Dawn) and two children, Rodney (Azar), and two daughters, Jason (Marco), and his former wife, Kathy Sparks. Steve leaves behind his sisters Claudia Vaughn, Marsha Fyler, Mary (Gary) Schmidt, Machele (Eldon) Vogt, and Julee Miller. In addition, Steve had four grandchildren, Arriana, Ashlee, Steven, and Anabella, as well as numerous close nieces and nephews and many close friends, including B.J. Green, Bob Farmer, Madison Jones, Mike Childers, and Lester Weatherwell, and numerous additional friends from his weekly lunches at Jim’s Restaurant.

Live of Adventure

Steve L. Sparks lived his life following his path of adventure. He met and touched thousands of people over the years. He lived his life intensely and pushed hard to do things the best anyone could expect. He was never the kind of man that got from point A to B the easy way but was open to life's challenges and often lent a hand to his fellow man. He rarely was ready to settle in one place. Even at 79, he went from place to place with his lists, people to see, and things he wanted to accomplish. He had in his shirt pocket his final list for that week to prepare for a fishing trip with numerous last-minute things. Steve was one of those special people that touched many lives, yet when you met him, he was present for that moment and the people around him. Steve loved his boys the most a man could love his sons. Each one is very different but has that unique "Steve Sparks" quality and connection only he could provide.

Your family and friends will miss you dearly, Dad, Grandfather, Brother, Uncle, and Friend. May you rest peacefully with Jesus and wait for the rest of us to reunite again with you.

73's SK

For Historical Reference

Added: 77 New Photos

THE FUNERAL IS TEXAS HEAT CASUAL.

WE EXPECT THE TEMP TO BE OVER 100F. PLEASE COME DRESSED FOR THE HEAT. PLEASE NO TIES AND JACKETS.

T-SHIRTS, POLO SHIRTS, SHORTS, AND SANDLES ARE ALL ENCOURAGED.

WE UNDERSTAND SOME MAY WANT TO DRESS UP AND THAT IS OK TOO!

Look at the menu to the left of the bottom of your phone for the guest book, and photos.

The Plan so far, please check back for updates:

Palm Valley Lutheran Chruch in Round Rock, Texas

June 18th at 2500 East Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock, Texas 78665

10 am - Viewing

11 am - Service and internment

Chruch Reception after the Service

The reception will be provided by the church

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to his church. The church will be supporting many parts of the funeral.