Joan "Jo" Kee Sparks

Joan (Jo) Kee Sparks, 89, was reunited with her lifelong partner and soulmate, Bob, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. She passed peacefully at her Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge home in Madison, Wisconsin, graced by the warmth of family and the enduring presence of music.

She was born in 1937, the eldest child of Richard Franklin Kee, Sr. and Leah Jenetha (Denman) Kee. With a flare for storytelling inherited from her Daddy, Jo often remarked she was “born under a tree among the oil fields of East Texas.” Her life was preceded by a melody; when her parents found out they were expecting, they pooled their meager savings to buy an upright piano so that “there’d always be music in the house.” Four years later, Jo was joined by her sister, Dixie, and eventually by her brother, Richard, who was born during her final year of high school.

The pine-laden landscape of Overton, Texas, served as the backdrop for a childhood rich in simple joys, community, and family. Jo loved riding her stick horse to school, the thrill of Saturday morning “shoot-’em-ups” at the local movie house, and the steady rhythm of church on Sundays. Ever her father’s daughter, she delighted in mirroring his activities—whether it was washing the car, building things in the garage, or plopping down exhausted on the couch from a day of hard work.

Upon moving to Irving (TX) for high school, Jo emerged as a natural leader; she was captain of the basketball team, guided the student council in designing a new school flag, and served as a photographer and writer for the school paper. Jo was a multifaceted talent who also played saxophone in the marching band.

Jo briefly attended Texas Christian University before moving to Madison at her aunt's invitation to "come on up to Madison." At the University of Wisconsin, Jo first encountered Bob at the campus Methodist youth group; it was a meeting marked by a sudden, certain premonition that they would grow old together. As she pursued pre-medical studies, Bob served as a dedicated tutor for her rigorous science curriculum; Jo eventually shifted her major to education. Jo and Bob’s romance was one of practical devotion; upon earning his Master’s in Engineering Physics, Bob offered a simple, heartfelt proposal: "Would you like to go to Evanston and live with me?" The couple wed on June 21, 1959, in Irving, Texas. Jo finalized her dual degrees in science and education at Northwestern University while Bob began his career teaching high school mathematics.

After Bob shifted from education to industry, the young couple moved to Dallas. They began raising their three children, Angie, John, and Laura, and were active members of the theologically progressive Northaven United Methodist Church. Jo and Bob were deeply involved in their faith community, developing life-long friendships among the congregants. Jo and Bob focused their efforts on their growing family during these years, creating a life filled with camping trips, community engagement, and regular reunions with Jo’s extended Texas family.

In 1970, a job change for Bob led them to Kokomo, Indiana. When her youngest child, Laura, began kindergarten, Jo returned to Ball State University to pursue a Master’s in Psychology. This academic interest often spilled over into family life, with her children becoming the subjects of her informal studies on intermittent positive reinforcement, Transactional Analysis, and Myers-Briggs personality testing. Jo and Bob’s time in Indiana was spent with Methodist and Mennonite discussion groups, square dancing, bridge clubs, and a

canoeing club. They continued sharing their passion for the outdoors with their children, with frequent trips to state and national parks for camping adventures along with seasonal road trips back to Texas each year.

Jo’s department was impacted by budget cuts to community mental health agencies in the early 1980s. She returned in her mid-forties to earn a second masters degree from Purdue University – Business with an emphasis in Human Resources. Again, she leaned on her tutor, Bob, for support, particularly with statistics.

In 1984, Jo returned to Dallas to care for her mother, along with her sister, Dixie, and niece, Victoria. While in Dallas, she held several positions in Human Resources. Bob joined her once their youngest graduated from high school. Jo retired from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in 1995. As they considered where to live in retirement, Jo and Bob found that Madison, their “courting town,” met most of their needs with its cultural opportunities, sports, and health care (not to mention that both daughters had settled there). It moved to the top of their list.

It was during Jo and Bob’s retirement years that her lifelong interests flourished – travel and adventure, music and art, continuing education, duplicate contract bridge, sports, theological community, and family.

On an early retirement trip, they went with a British Walking Club and completed sanctioned 10K walks in seven different European countries. They completed American Volksport Association (AVA) sanctioned walks in all fifty states and over a dozen foreign countries. They often traveled with UW continuing education groups or through the Road Scholar program and completed over thirty trips home and abroad. As committed lifelong learners and art lovers, they integrated art history, museums, and occasionally, painting classes, into their travels.

Their travels were often coordinated with American Contract Bridge League tournaments nationwide, eventually leading both Jo and Bob to the distinguished rank of Silver Life Master. They were a wiley duo!

Their adventure of a life-time, however, was their boat trip completing the Great American Loop, which is a 5,500 mile boating route around the eastern United States. Despite never owning or operating a motor boat, they purchased a 27’ Carver Santiago and set out from Racine, Wisconsin. Eleven months later, they closed the loop as they returned to dock in Racine. Having had their fill of boating life, they donated their home of the past eleven months to a non-profit.

As a life-long music appreciator, Jo took up the cello in retirement. She took lessons with UW students and joined the All-University String Orchestra as third (and last) chair. Jo took pride in being able to "hit the first note in every measure.” Jo and Bob audited Music Appreciation courses at UW and focused some of their travels on attending Wagner’s Ring Cycle, a 15-hour opera over four days. They attended it twice – first in Edinburgh, Scotland, and again in Chicago!

Jo valued family. She had a connection to her roots, a strong commitment to Bob, and unwavering acceptance and celebration of her children, their partners, and grandchildren. In 2012, to encourage family time in nature, Jo and Bob purchased a two-bedroom cabin overlooking a trout stream just north of Madison – perfect for her extended family of fourteen! Jo cherished time spent playing games, planting trees, and feeding the birds with family. Forever a lover of trucks, Jo absolutely needed a manual transmission Jeep to go with the cabin.

Theology was a continual thread woven into both Jo and Bob’s lives. Jo was well-read as she tried to make sense of the human condition. Her compassion for humanity was ever-present as she strove to lead with love, default to kindness, and live in gratitude.

Jo is survived by her children, Angie (Andrea), John (Lyn), and Laura (Jill); grandchildren Casey (Tim), Addison (Carter), Lulit, and Amanda; and great-grandchildren Hudson and Nora. She is further survived by her sister Dixie, and nieces Victoria and Kelly. Jo was preceded in death by her parents Richard Franklin Kee, Sr. and Leah Jenetha (Denman) Kee, her husband Robert Lutherman Sparks, and brother Richard Franklin Kee, Jr.

JoMama – watching you live fully has been an incredible gift to us. We have learned how to navigate the rivers and streams. You modeled how to embark on world-expanding adventures, embrace the awe of nature, share time and skills with others, maintain a level head and positive attitude, work hard, create art and music, appreciate poetry and literature, share joy, and, every once in a while, boldly lead with a singleton King.

The family extends our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated team who enriched Jo and Bob’s lives: music therapist TJ for keeping music in the forefront; Marie for the nature, art, and music for Jo and emotional support for the family; Ryssa and Nancy from Visiting Angels, who ensured music remained a vibrant part of their lives; the compassionate nursing and life enrichment staff at Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge; and the supportive caregivers from Agrace hospice. This truly was a collaborative effort.

The following local organizations reflect Jo’s deeply held values of community, education, and the arts:

HeartStrings of Madison Symphony Orchestra – brings live, music therapy-informed programming into healthcare and residential facilities [222 W. Washington Ave, Suite 460, Madison, WI 53703]

Luke House – runs entirely on private donations and faith-based volunteers to provide meals nine times a week. [1202 Williamson Street, Suite 1, Madison WI 53703]

Wisconsin Public Radio – provides listeners with free access to programs that educate, inform, and entertain [PO Box 88025, Milwaukee, WI 53288-8025]

A private celebration of life is planned for a future date. Jo and Bob will be memorialized together at Forest Hill Cemetery (Madison, Wisconsin) and with the Kee clan in the De Leon Cemetery (De Leon, Texas).

Lead with love. Default to kindness. Live in gratitude.

AQ2 – (August 2004) Jo and Bob chronicle their adventure, detailing their quest for a boat and the inspiration behind its name, AQ2. This journey, known as the Great Loop, took place from Fall 2004 to early Summer 2005. (8 min) https://youtu.be/mhPeFMQe1ss

Whad’ya Know – (May 2013) This archival snippet features Jo and Bob Sparks, along with Jo's sister, Dixie, and their Texas cousin, Rachel, during a live radio broadcast of Whad’ya Know with Michael Feldman from Monona Terrace on May 4, 2013. Michael conducted the interview. (5 min) https://youtu.be/48GxuBhBalk

“It-Takes-A-Village” Mac ‘n’ Cheese – (July 2023) Perhaps this is a metaphor for the village it takes to support someone with dementia. Focus on feelings, rather than facts. Sing together – music is a magical language. Use a calm voice, gentle touch, and positive words. Patiently answer questions as if they are being asked the first time. Filmed during a Sparks Clan AirBnB weekend. (3 min) https://youtu.be/inLQlhicTy0

Could I Have This Dance? – (May 2026) As mom's dementia progressed, music was her main language. Alexa told us on one of her final days that she was a top 5% listener to Anne Murray's Amazon Music station. This song was one she was singing until the end. She loved Anne Murray and she loved her soulmate, Bob, and her family. (3 min) https://youtu.be/Mc_eM4W0Q14

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3325 E. Washington Ave.

Madison (608) 249-6666

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