Joseph Allen Sparkman

Joseph Allen Sparkman, 54, passed away on Wednesday Sept. 23, 2009. He was born in Corona, CA on January 18, 1955 and lived in the Long Beach area until he moved to Prescott, AZ in 1996. He was a graduate of Millikan High School and Long Beach City College in Long Beach, CA. At a young age, Joe became an avid fisherman, water skier, and surfer. His hobbies also included welding, traveling, and racing his class 9 off-road vehicle. More than anything, he loved to cook, fish, and go camping with his family and friends. It was on a trip to Idaho?s Lake Pend O?Reille that Joe met his wife Debbie at the age of 15, and they were married in 1980 after many years of courtship.   During his spare time, Joe could almost always be found helping his neighbors and friends with the knowledge he gained throughout his eventful life. He was certainly the ?Joe? of all trades: he had worked in a core foundry at the age of 13, managed a tire store by the age of 18, and attended culinary school. After becoming a masonry contractor and owning his own business in southern CA, he moved to northern AZ to work as a landscape foreman. His current vocation was with Common Ground Landscape as a project manager in Prescott, AZ.   Joe was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and an unforgettable friend who will be missed by every one that knew him. He is survived by his wife Debbie Sparkman of nearly 30 years, children Leslie and James Sparkman, parents Henry and Isabel Sparkman of Long Beach, CA, sister Linda and brother-in-law Steve Matthews of Modesto, CA, brother Richard Sparkman and sister-in-law Marty Sparkman of Long Beach, CA, sister Karen Castellano and brother-in-law Roger Castellano of Long Beach, CA, as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and the friends he had made in California and Arizona. A celebration of his life will take place on Sunday October 4, 2009 at 3pm at 1195 E. Oxbow Cr. in Paulden, AZ.