John “Paul” Sparrow  - 1937-2024

A musical evening of Big Band Jazz in tribute to the late Paul Sparrow

@HermannsJazz

Hermann's Jazz Club 

753 View St Victoria, BC V8W 1J9

$20.00

25 April 1937 (Peterborough, ON) to 31 August 2024 (Shawnigan Lake,BC)

It is with a sad and heavy heart, that I let you know that Paul Sparrow, my passionate, loving husband of 37 years passed away unexpectedly and quickly at home on August 31st, 2024.

Paul was born in Peterborough, Ontario, on April 25th, 1937. He was the long-awaited first-born child to Dorothy Louise (nee Goheen), whose family had deep roots in Peterborough and Lewis “Johnny” Sparrow, who emigrated from Great Baddow in Chelmsford, UK, from a long line of blacksmiths. Paul is survived by his brother, Grant Sparrow, who lives in Winnipeg and his sister, Mary Lou Jackson, who lives at Rice Lake, plus 6 children, 12 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren living in California, Ontario, and British Columbia. Memories of his happy childhood attending the Prince of Wales School, where he won the “Best Boy” Scholarship July 4th,1950, then Peterborough Collegiate Vocational School, where he obtained an “Honour Graduation Diploma” August 20th,1958 and idyllic summers at the family cottage spent fishing, boating and hunting at Rice Lake stayed with him the rest of his life. Paul had many passions: hydroplane racing, his Corvette, playing trumpet, jazz music, chopping wood, fishing, new technology, a voracious reader, news junkie and being a Dad. He knew how to dress. He was just as much at home in a tuxedo as he was in his jeans. Like his namesake, Paul Bunyan, he was strong like an ox and knew how to wield an axe. He could light up a room with his infectious smile and sparkling blue eyes, just by walking in. Paul loved life and was never happier than when sharing his passions with others. A close friend recently described Paul as funny, sincere and a talented musician who was always there to give encouragement and support to his fellow musicians and who was a real inspiration.

After graduating from high school, Paul did a stint in the lab at Canadian General Electric, where his father was employed. He then married his high school sweetheart, Joan Beryl Shippam, on August 16th, 1958, and they moved to Winnipeg, where he studied architecture for two years at the University of Manitoba. Paul and Joan quickly had four children, Sharolyn (now Leithold), Sue (now Warrington), Shelley Sparrow and John Sparrow (sadly now passed away).He earned a living playing trumpet in shows and in clubs, such as the Town and Country Club, with its world-famous cheesecake and new acts, such as Barbara Streisand. Eventually the Sparrow family moved back to Peterborough and Paul worked as the manager of the Empress Hotel. He especially enjoyed hiring musical acts, such as Gordon Lightfoot, and hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs, with General Manager, Harold Ballard, while the Leafs were at training camp in Peterborough, during their winning streak in the 1960’s.

From 1964 to 1976 Paul was wildly into racing inboard hydroplanes. In September of 1967 he became: the Canadian National Champion in the 280 class of hydroplanes in Laprairie, Quebec; the winner of the Duke of York trophy at Lac Sept Iles, Quebec; and the Canadian Speed Record Holder for the fastest boat in Canada for the one-kilometer distance at the Henley Rowing Course in St.Catharines, Ontario with a speed of 100.765 mph. In January of 1968 he won first place in the Orange Bowl Regatta in the 280 class of hydroplanes at Marine Stadium in Miami Beach, Florida. He also had many happy memories of racing at Valleyfield, Quebec.

As with many marriages, Paul and Joan divorced. Paul then met Judy Margaret Haslock, who was keen on hydroplane racing and they married November 30th, 1974, in Toronto, Ontario. They moved to Alberta and had a son, Jeffrey, together. Paul had his own company, Arctic Valve, which supplied valves to mills throughout Alberta.

After Paul’s marriage to Judy ended, he moved to Mayne Island, British Columbia and had the pleasure of building a home he had designed with lumber he milled from his own waterfront lot. He was also at this time, briefly married to Diane Ness (nee Enevold), with her two daughters, Kim and Alanna, but living rustically in the woods on an island was not for them.

On May 23rd, 1987 Paul was on the Island Big Band bus trip to the Kamloops Big Band Spectacular, when he met me, Rosemary Michie, not entirely by chance, also on the bus. We immediately hit it off and we were married March 13th, 1993, at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria. Paul was a father to my son Nicholas Alexander Sitarz, and later we had our daughter, Sarah Sparrow, together. On August 6th, 1994 we moved to Shawnigan Lake as it reminded Paul so much of happy times on Rice Lake. Paul was a wonderful father and a passionate, exciting husband. We had such a great life together.

Paul's passion for the trumpet began when he was nine in Peterborough, Ontario. He studied under Albert Croasdale, former cornet player with The John Philip Sousa Band, at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Ontario, with Eldon Lehman of The Toronto Symphony Orchestra and international trumpet player, Bobby Shew. He supported himself and his family playing shows and clubs while he attended The University of Manitoba. Paul played professionally for many decades in Off Broadway musical pit orchestras, opera orchestras, night club combos, big bands, classical orchestras and jazz groups.

When Paul moved out west to Victoria and the Cowichan Valley, he became firmly entrenched in the local music scene, playing trumpet, flugelhorn, bass trumpet and trombone with 'The Island Big Band', 'Mulligan Stew', 'Blue Bones' and freelancing. He took great pleasure in teaching students privately and most recently at Shawnigan Lake School. Paul was an enthusiastic teacher and loved to pass on his love of trumpet playing. He especially loved the trumpet player, Chet Baker, and was also a fan of Maynard Ferguson, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Myles Davis, Arturo Sandoval and Bobby Shew.

It’s hard to believe that Paul’s gone, but he lives on in my heart and in his family and of all those who knew him. Paul’s wishes were for his ashes to be scattered in two bays of the Jubilee Channel on Rice Lake, where he and his Dad loved to fish, so we will be headed there next summer.

The Island Big Band will be playing a tribute to Paul on November 17th at 7pm at Hermanns Jazz Club.

I hope to see you there. As Paul would say “Keep on, keepin’ on!”