Obituary of Frederick James Sparling

Frederick James Sparling passed away peacefully on March 16, 2026 after a courageous battle with cancer. He fought with great determination and hope, a spirit which stayed with him until the end. He was surrounded by friends and family who loved him.

Fred was born March 25, 1951 to loving parents, Eva and Desmond Sparling, in Kingston, Ontario and soon moved to Saint John, New Brunswick. They moved to Fredericton seven years later where he spent the rest of his youth with siblings Pam (Parmatma), Anne, Paul and Maureen. He had a very happy childhood filled with friendships (many which endured through his entire life), loving siblings and cousins, hockey and bike rides. This led into a young adulthood filled with music, pool, travel and wayward hippie adventures.

Driven by an adventurous spirit, Fred became a helicopter pilot in his early twenties and moved to St. John's, Newfoundland where he rose to become the chief pilot at Sealand Helicopters, as well as one of their top flight instructors. It was there that he met his wife Florence (who he deemed, even after their separation 25 years later, to be the 'cutest thing he had ever seen') and raised his two children, Kevin and Maggie.

His work as a helicopter pilot took him on many exciting expeditions, his favourites involving northern wildlife projects and northern rescue missions. His trusty copilot Mukluk, a 3-legged dog from the Arctic, accompanied him on many of these adventures. Along with his work as a pilot, he was an entrepreneur and inventor, an innate drive that pushed him his whole life. This eventually led to a product contract with Parks Canada, as well as multiple original patents in the world of aerial ignition. His inventions focused on prescribed burning with the goal of forest fire prevention.

His mind was very active and always thinking of new inventions and projects. He loved creating games for neighborhood kids, and put great effort into an annual day of games for his daughter Maggie's birthday and her friends. In his later years, he became an active member of the Fredericton Snooker Club. He was a calm and thoughtful man, but also very funny and creative. He was warm and humorous. Steady and present.

Fred is predeceased by his father, Desmond Sparling and his mother, Eva Sparling (nee Bangay). He is survived by his wife of 25 years (div. 2007), Florence Sparling (nee Reid), daughter, Maggie Sparling;  son, Kevin Sparling (Xinyi); his two beautiful grandsons,  Avram and Henrik Sparling; his siblings,  Pam Leviton (Bob), Anne Sparling, Paul Sparling and Maureen Robichaud, as well as his five cousins on his mother’s side who he was particularly close with - Lynn, Gwen, Brian, Dennis, and Robbie of the Bangay family, along with many nephews and nieces and lifelong friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 30th at the Nashwaaksis United Church in Fredericton from 2:00pm - 4:00pm. Donations can be made to Hospice House in Fredericton or to a charity of your choice.