Reverend Ralph Linwood Sparrow Jr., 87, of Mooresville, N.C., went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
Ralph was a graduate of Mooresville High School, Class of 1955. From there he went to Chicago, Ill., to DeVry Technical Institute earning a certification in Television/Radio Repair and Communications. Ralph then worked for Ledbetter Television in Charlotte and afterwards for the WMIT radio station as an announcer and engineer. While in this position, he lived on top of Clingman’s Peak in the mountains of North Carolina. Ralph then decided to serve his country by joining the United States Air Force, where he served at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., teaching aircraft radar theory and operations. Following his time in the Air Force, Ralph went to William Carey College in Mississippi, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1959 and then on to Southeastern Theological Seminary at Wake Forest, N.C., where he received his Master’s of Divinity degree in 1969.
During Ralph’s time in the service, he began writing letters back home to his best friend, Harold Kistler’s sister, Doris, whom he adored and the Lord put in his path. Ralph and Doris fell in love and would become husband and wife in 1962. They were married for over 61 wonderful years, serving the Lord in ministry and starting a family.
During Ralph’s ministerial career, he served the following churches: Hillsborough Baptist Church in Crozet, Va.; Grundy Baptist Church in Grundy, Va.; Sharon Baptist Church in Sharon, S.C.; and Oak View Baptist Church in Kings Mountain, N.C. Even after his formal retirement in 1999, Ralph served as supply and interim pastor at several churches in the Mooresville, N.C., area.
Ralph’s other passion in life was as an amateur radio operator and his FCC-assigned call sign was N4ACF, which he decided stood “Now 4 All Christian Fellowship.” This hobby brought him friends in several radio clubs, acquaintances across the world, and he enjoyed it immensely. Ralph also enjoyed repairing vacuum tube era televisions, radios, and other electronics for his fellow neighbors and church members.
Ralph was proceeded in death by his parents, Ralph Linwood Sparrow Sr. and Catherine Templeton Sparrow.
He is survived by his dearly beloved wife of 61 years, Doris Kistler Sparrow of Mooresville, N.C.; son, Col. James Sparrow (Sarah), United States Air Force Retired, of Wasilla, Alaska; daughter, Kimberly Sparrow Nichols (Kenny) of Shelby, N.C.; grandson, Captain Zechariah Sparrow (Gabrielle) of Lawrence Township, N.J.; granddaughters, Catherine Strange and Lydia Strange of Shelby, N.C.; great-granddaughters, Aria and Emery Sparrow of Lawrence Township, N.J.; two brothers, Dr. James Sparrow (Doris) of Houston, Texas, and Dr. John Sparrow of Mooresville, N.C.
The funeral service will be held Saturday, June 22, at 11 a.m. at Berea Baptist Church in Mooresville, with the visitation beginning one hour before the service at the church. Burial will follow at Centre Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Mooresville, the church he grew up in and his family attended for several generations.
In lieu of flowers, Ralph asked that memorials be made to Berea Baptist Church, 1015 River Highway, Mooresville, NC, 28117 or to Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.
Cavin-Cook Funeral Home, Mooresville, is serving the family.