Born a few minutes after his twin brother Roy in January 1939 (a surprise to parents Roy and Katherine Sparks who had no idea twins were coming!), Terry Sparks grew up in Clarkston, Georgia. Though their parents tried to interest them in music, Terry and Roy couldn’t carry a tune and elected instead to play all the sports offered at Clarkston High School. After graduation in 1957, Terry and Roy played football at West Georgia College for two years before enlisting in the Army - serving together at Fort Sill and Fort Jackson before returning to enroll at Auburn University in 1960, beginning what would become a decades-long love of the Auburn University Tigers. As they always had, Terry and Roy did everything together at Auburn. They roomed together, took every class together, chose the same major (education), and earned the same degrees (B.S, Masters, and 6-year/Education Specialist). They both returned to Dekalb County in 1962, where Terry began his coaching and teaching career at Tucker High School. Though he also coached baseball and wrestling, football was Terry’s true passion and, when Henderson High School opened in 1968, he was hired as its first head football coach. He helped build the Henderson school program into a quick success with community and school spirit, and he took the Cougars to the state championship game while earning Coach of the Year honors in 1973. Terry served through the Atlanta Fellowship of Christian Athletes, raising funds, hosting meetings, running FCA camps and leading players and students not just on the football field but toward Jesus. In 1989, Terry joined Roy to coach at Clarkston High School, and Terry and Roy continued coaching together until they both retired in 1998. During Terry’s more than 35-year career, he coached and impacted hundreds of players and students through leadership and character development. Terry also served his churches (Clarkston Baptist, First Baptist Decatur, and Rehoboth Baptist), leading as a deacon for many decades and as a volunteer wherever and whenever needed.

Terry had a deep love of family - marrying Jane Powers Sparks in 1972 and building a home together in 1973 where they lived throughout Terry's life. Terry and Jane were married for more than 52 years and Jane (an identical twin to Roy's wife Jean – providing fodder for numerous news articles about “family affair” coaches and “brother vs. brother” football games when they coached at rival high schools) also taught in Dekalb County and together they raised Terry Jr. and Ken. Perhaps the only thing to exceed his love of Auburn was the bonds that Terry found through family - which included Terry Jr.’s wife Anne and their children Palmer, Ethan, Campbell, and Tate. And that love of family also extended to a special and unique relationship with Roy and Jean's children, Lee Ann (and her husband Justin and children Jackson, Graham, and Emily) and Laurie (and her husband Matt and children Celia and Sam) as the "twin families" have lived across the street from each other for more than 50 years. Terry also had a wonderful extended family who he remained close with - including Jane's siblings in Savannah, Georgia - Polly Powers Stramm and Ken Powers and their families - and many more cherished relatives.

During the last few weeks of his life, Terry’s family asked doctors and nurses to call him “Coach” – a word that meant far more to him than just a job title. It was his calling and he lived up to every meaning of the word. It’s no surprise that though he did not speak much during the last few weeks, some of his last words were “I love you” to Jane and “War Damn Eagle,” coaxed from him by Roy, his loyal sidekick of the last 86 years.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, January 20, 2025 at 11:15 a.m. in the sanctuary of Rehoboth Baptist Church at 2997 Lawrenceville Hwy, Tucker, GA 30084. The family will receive guests before the service from 10-11 a.m.

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