Frank was born on November 29, 1944, in Butte, Montana. His parents Barney and Tess Hanratty McGarry were surprised by his very early arrival into the world. He was premature and lucky for him St. James Hospital had just received their first incubator. With little chance of survival, the nurses paid close attention to this tiny baby in the new incubator. They would comment each day that he was “sparking” and were amazed with his will to live. Gradually his “sparking” led to the name Sparky which many would know him by for the rest of his life.
Sparky received a Catholic education attending Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s grade schools. He graduated from Boys Central High School in 1963. After high school, he attended Montana Tech, receiving an associate degree in business. In June of 1966, he was hired by Western Airlines as a reservation specialist. However, in November of 1966 the United States Army had a different plan. Sparky reported for military duty at Fort Lewis Washington at the end of November 1966. After basic training, he was assigned to guard the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. He was later assigned to the Pentagon where he was able to use his airline reservation training. He served the remainder of his military service at the Pentagon.
Upon completion of his military service, Sparky resumed his career with Western Airlines in Hawaii, and later transferred back to Butte. In addition to Honolulu and Butte he worked for Western and later Delta Airlines in Helena and Phoenix, retiring in 2001 after 36 years of service.
Sparky met the love of his life and lifelong best friend, Michelle Stanley in February of 1974. Sparky knew this was the girl of his dreams! Sparky and Michelle were married on June 22, 1974, in Immaculate Conception Church in Butte.
Sparky and Michelle’s greatest joy was brought into their lives with the adoption of their daughter Meghan in 1983.
In 2011 Sparky called everyone he knew with the joyous message “Mo gharmhac Sean Eamon has arrived (My grandson Jack Edward)!” and in 2012 the message was “Mo gharinion Lily Theresa Lynn (My granddaughter Lily Theresa Lynn has arrived)!” Jack and Lily were a source of continuous joy to their Papa.
Sparky was known for being an ardent and VOCAL fan of the Butte Central Maroons and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He attended every Central class reunion for the past 60 years and traveled all over the US, including Hawaii, to cheer on the Fighting Irish. He was immensely proud of the fact that every item of clothing he owned sported the ND logo! Some would say he was a fanatic Notre Dame fan. In fact, Michelle’s first encounter with Sparky involved a Notre Dame game. She was with a friend who was going to Sparky’s house and upon their arrival, Sparky greeted them with “Sit down. Shut up. I’m watching a Notre Dame Game.” So, she and her friend sat down and shut up. She realized then this man was serious about the things that were important to him. It wasn’t until five years later that Michelle found out how deep his commitment was. Sparky was watching a Notre Dame basketball game in February. Meaning the game was a rerun! It wasn’t long after this incident that Sparky’s commitment to Michelle became even greater than his commitment to Notre Dame.
Sparky had an incredible memory for facts, trivia, dates, and events. He was fond of sharing his knowledge of historical events, sports, politics, family stories, ancestors and more.
Sparky and Michelle were well known for their lavish St. Patrick’s Day parties. Friends and family would travel hundreds of miles to attend these events.
Sparky was preceded in death by his parents, father-in-law and mother-in-law Ed and Erma Stanley, brother-in-law Fred Appelman and many dearly loved and fondly remembered aunts, uncles, and cousins.
He is survived by his wife Michelle, daughter Meghan McGarry Allen, son-in-law Jared Allen, grandson Jack Allen and granddaughter Lily Allen, his sisters Marjorie McGarry Appelman and Mary (Mary Kay) McGarry Burke (Denis), brother-in-law Michael Stanley (Patty), nephew Jason Stanley, niece Bree Stanley Ziolkowski (Joe), nephew Jake Appelman (Jen), niece Brittnie Burke Keilman (Dan), nephew Benjamin McGarry Burke (Megan) and numerous great nieces and nephews.
Services will be held on February 22, 2024 at 9:00 am at Surprise Funeral Care in Surprise, Arizona. A reception will follow. The burial will be at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona at 2:00 pm.
There will be a memorial service in Butte, Montana this coming summer 2024 at a date to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Lung Association and/or American Heart Association.
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