Robert "Butch" Hiram Sparks, Jr., passed away at home in Austin on Saturday, September 27, 2008. He had fought esophageal cancer for more than two years with bravery, tenacity and quiet dignity.Born in Temple, Texas, on August 2, 1943, Butch spent his early years in Troy and Temple and graduated from Chula Vista High School, Chula Vista, CA. He received a B.A. in Political Science from San Diego State University in 1965 and a J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 1969. Butch had been employed as the Executive Director of the Licensed Beverage Distributors for more than 33 years, lobbying in Texas and Washington, D.C. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Austin Club since 1976.
Butch is survived by his wife of 33 years, Lisa Bearden Sparks; their daughter Lauren Sparks Hamner and her husband Herschel Towles Hamner III, and grandchildren Catherine Marlowe Hamner and Robert Pierce Hamner, who was named after his beloved "Pops". He is also survived by his sister, Jackie Sparks, cousins, Cindy Wiewel and Sandra Grossman and mother-in-law, Halene A. Bearden. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jean E. and Robert H. Sparks and father-in-law, Richard C. Bearden.
Butch was a gentle and kind man whose true passion was his family. He was a deeply devoted husband, father, grandfather and father-in-law and considered the love he shared with his family his greatest accomplishment. Eschewing traditional hobbies, he chose instead to spend his spare time joyfully giving them his undivided attention, support and love. His happiest moments were spent in their presence, although he did love his Saturday morning coffee group, playing poker with the "boys", spending hours on the phone discussing politics, and shopping at Central Market and Costco.
Over the years, he spent hours giving wise advice to many young men and women who considered him their confidant and mentor. Butch was truly wonderful and selfless with a sweet and generous heart. He had an enormous zest for life, and his laugh was infectious. A true and loyal friend, Butch was given the special gift of saying goodbye to those he loved most. All those whose lives he touched will miss him tremendously.
The family wishes to express deep gratitude and thanks to their many cherished friends and colleagues, with special appreciation to the dedicated doctors, nurses and staff at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210, or Hospice Austin, 4107 Spicewood Springs Road #100, Austin, TX 78759.
After a private burial, a memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30, 2008, at the First United Methodist Church Austin, 1201 Lavaca, followed by a "Celebration of Life" reception at the Austin Club, 110 E. 9th Street.
Eleanor Kim is leaving the government for DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, a tax consultancy. She was most recently head of the tax division at the State Office of Administrative Hearings and before that was a tax attorney with the Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Patrick Reinhart left Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, for the private sector. He's now in the lobby shop at the Brown McCarroll law firm.
Geoff Connor stepped down as chairman of CACH Capital Management, but the former Texas Secretary of State is still one of the firm's owners. He's got a lobby practice and a law firm to tend to.
Texas Parks & Wildlife is searching all over for a new deputy executive director for natural resources at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. That's a new position overseeing the agency's Wildlife, Coastal and Inland Fisheries divisions.
Speaker Tom Craddick appointed Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, to the State Pension Review Board.
Gov. Rick Perry had a slew of appointments, naming:
• Alan Kirchhoff of Austin the director of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, replacing Mark Ellison, who left Perry's staff to become associate vice chancellor of economic development at the Texas A&M University System. Kirchhoff was Ellison's deputy.
• Donna Williams to the Texas State University System Board of Regents. She's an exec with Parsons Infrastructure and Technology.
• Myrna Patterson McLeroy of Gonzales to another term on the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority Board. She's the owner of the McLeroy Land Group.
• Lisa Caldwell Brent and Cole Camp of Amarillo, and Penny Cogdell Carpenter of Silverton to the Red River Authority of Texas. Brent is a clothing retailer. Camp is a designated alternate for the Panhandle Water Planning Group. And Carpenter is a rancher.
Deaths: Lobbyist and Capitol wizard Robert "Butch" Sparks, Jr., a little more than two years after he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. A liquor lobbyist known as one of the Booze Brothers, he was 65.