Obituary for Dr. Donald Q. Sprole
Dr. Donald Q. Sprole, of Warminster, formerly a 51-year resident of Perkasie, passed away Friday, February 22, 2019. He was 96.
He was the beloved husband of Shirley (Weiss) Sprole for 71 years.
Born in Milton, PA, he was the son of the late Fred J. and Mary (Barrett) Sprole. After graduating Milton High School, Don received his A.B. degree from Dickinson College.
He was a U. S. Army veteran, having served in Italy in the 88th Blue Devil Division during World War II.
Dr. Sprole dedicated his career to educating children, serving the school districts of Sellersville-Perkasie, Pennridge, Central Bucks, and Centennial with positions as a secondary English and Spanish teacher, elementary teacher, guidance counselor, district coordinator for arts and reading, and as both a secondary and elementary principal.
He did graduate work at Temple, Lehigh, Penn State, and Nova Universities, earning Masters and Doctorate degrees in Education.
A lifetime member of PSEA and NEA, he was a former president of the Pennridge Teachers Association.
With a firm belief in the positive impact of athletics, he coached basketball at Boiling Springs High School, supervised the Perkasie playground, organized the senior basketball team, and helped organize the original Pennridge Little League. Personally, he played in the Pennsylvania Senior Olympics for several years, winning medals in table tennis, badminton, and basketball. And, he just loved his Eagles and Penn State.
Over the years, he was very active in community affairs. Don served as treasurer of the Pennridge Jaycees and chairman of the annual Jaycee Flower Festival. A favorite project was his participation in the planting of the Japanese cherry trees at Lake Lenape.
One of the charter organizers of the former Pennridge Youth Center in Sellersville, he was also a president of the Pennridge Senior Center Advisory Board and later a life member.
A member of the Perkasie Lions Club, Don delivered 53 years of perfect attendance until he could no longer drive. He served as president, secretary, and various committee chairs. One of the team who launched the annual chicken barbecue, he also secured the first re-opening of the Perkasie Carousel.
He expanded local Lions’ participation to the district, state, and international levels, serving as county treasurer for twelve years, District Governor, a member of State Council, and secretary of the PA Hearing Research Foundation. He attended 23 international conventions and supported worldwide brotherhood.
Also active with the Boy Scouts, Don served on the Bucks County Executive Council and as a charter member of Bucks County Big Brothers and their second president.
In the 1980s, Dr. Sprole was president of the Perkasie Borough Council, where he was instrumental in the development and promotion of plans for a new library building for the community. As the fund-raising chairman, he supervised the procurement of $500k for the project. He was a former member of the Board of Directors of the Pierce Library.
A member of St. Stephen’s United Church of Christ, Perkasie, he was also a 32-degree Mason, Quakertown Lodge 512, Valley of Allentown, Rajah Shrine in Reading, and active in the North Penn Shrine Club, and the VFW.
Acknowledgements and honors awarded over the years included the 100% Governors Award; Lifetime Membership Lions International; and the Lions International Highest Award: Ambassador of Goodwill. He also received the Melvin Jones Founder Award, the Rotary International Paul Harris Award for community work, and the BSA Distinguished Scouter Award. A “Key to the Perkasie Borough” was special to him as was the Perkasie Historical Society’s Chapel of Four Chaplains Humanitarian Award.
Along with his passion for education and lifetime focus on community welfare, Dr. Sprole was a devoted family man. From family games to vacations on the beach and world’s fairs, to retirement travel with his wife, Don wanted to see the world, learn new ways, and to talk with people. He loved art, music, philosophy, sports, and enjoyed collecting neckties. All of his wonderfulness and his idiosyncrasies will be missed.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two daughters, Renee Sprole, and her husband, Stephen Poot, of Raleigh, NC, and Holly Ketterer, and her husband, Scott, of Perkasie; three grandchildren, Jessica Poot, Janelle Ketterer, and Rachel Ketterer; and his younger brother, Edward Sprole, of Burkburnett, TX.
His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 28, 2019, in St. Stephen’s United Church of Christ, 110 North 6th Street, Perkasie, PA 18944, where a visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of service.
Interment will follow in Sellersville Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Sprole’s memory be made to Teach For America –Donations, PO Box 398305, San Francisco, CA 94139-8305.
He was the beloved husband of Shirley (Weiss) Sprole for 71 years.
Born in Milton, PA, he was the son of the late Fred J. and Mary (Barrett) Sprole. After graduating Milton High School, Don received his A.B. degree from Dickinson College.
He was a U. S. Army veteran, having served in Italy in the 88th Blue Devil Division during World War II.
Dr. Sprole dedicated his career to educating children, serving the school districts of Sellersville-Perkasie, Pennridge, Central Bucks, and Centennial with positions as a secondary English and Spanish teacher, elementary teacher, guidance counselor, district coordinator for arts and reading, and as both a secondary and elementary principal.
He did graduate work at Temple, Lehigh, Penn State, and Nova Universities, earning Masters and Doctorate degrees in Education.
A lifetime member of PSEA and NEA, he was a former president of the Pennridge Teachers Association.
With a firm belief in the positive impact of athletics, he coached basketball at Boiling Springs High School, supervised the Perkasie playground, organized the senior basketball team, and helped organize the original Pennridge Little League. Personally, he played in the Pennsylvania Senior Olympics for several years, winning medals in table tennis, badminton, and basketball. And, he just loved his Eagles and Penn State.
Over the years, he was very active in community affairs. Don served as treasurer of the Pennridge Jaycees and chairman of the annual Jaycee Flower Festival. A favorite project was his participation in the planting of the Japanese cherry trees at Lake Lenape.
One of the charter organizers of the former Pennridge Youth Center in Sellersville, he was also a president of the Pennridge Senior Center Advisory Board and later a life member.
A member of the Perkasie Lions Club, Don delivered 53 years of perfect attendance until he could no longer drive. He served as president, secretary, and various committee chairs. One of the team who launched the annual chicken barbecue, he also secured the first re-opening of the Perkasie Carousel.
He expanded local Lions’ participation to the district, state, and international levels, serving as county treasurer for twelve years, District Governor, a member of State Council, and secretary of the PA Hearing Research Foundation. He attended 23 international conventions and supported worldwide brotherhood.
Also active with the Boy Scouts, Don served on the Bucks County Executive Council and as a charter member of Bucks County Big Brothers and their second president.
In the 1980s, Dr. Sprole was president of the Perkasie Borough Council, where he was instrumental in the development and promotion of plans for a new library building for the community. As the fund-raising chairman, he supervised the procurement of $500k for the project. He was a former member of the Board of Directors of the Pierce Library.
A member of St. Stephen’s United Church of Christ, Perkasie, he was also a 32-degree Mason, Quakertown Lodge 512, Valley of Allentown, Rajah Shrine in Reading, and active in the North Penn Shrine Club, and the VFW.
Acknowledgements and honors awarded over the years included the 100% Governors Award; Lifetime Membership Lions International; and the Lions International Highest Award: Ambassador of Goodwill. He also received the Melvin Jones Founder Award, the Rotary International Paul Harris Award for community work, and the BSA Distinguished Scouter Award. A “Key to the Perkasie Borough” was special to him as was the Perkasie Historical Society’s Chapel of Four Chaplains Humanitarian Award.
Along with his passion for education and lifetime focus on community welfare, Dr. Sprole was a devoted family man. From family games to vacations on the beach and world’s fairs, to retirement travel with his wife, Don wanted to see the world, learn new ways, and to talk with people. He loved art, music, philosophy, sports, and enjoyed collecting neckties. All of his wonderfulness and his idiosyncrasies will be missed.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two daughters, Renee Sprole, and her husband, Stephen Poot, of Raleigh, NC, and Holly Ketterer, and her husband, Scott, of Perkasie; three grandchildren, Jessica Poot, Janelle Ketterer, and Rachel Ketterer; and his younger brother, Edward Sprole, of Burkburnett, TX.
His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 28, 2019, in St. Stephen’s United Church of Christ, 110 North 6th Street, Perkasie, PA 18944, where a visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of service.
Interment will follow in Sellersville Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Sprole’s memory be made to Teach For America –Donations, PO Box 398305, San Francisco, CA 94139-8305.