Ben H. Sparkman ’52

Ben came to Princeton after graduating from the New Mexico Military Institute.

At Princeton his major was history. He ate at Campus, where he was the social chairman, and played club sports. His roommates were Rudy Ottersen and Jay Wilson.

After graduation he went into the Air Force for two years. He then joined his father’s mortuary business for a time before selling burial insurance, and then directed his own real-estate investment firm. He also invested in his sons’ friends’ startup businesses, some of which were highly successful.

Ben wrote a memo for the occasion of his death, which was Jan. 12, 2017. He expressed his deep religious faith and affection for his wife, Sally; his sons, J. Howard and Ben Jr.; and grandchildren — and remarked upon his having had a conversation with Albert Einstein while a student in Princeton! The class offers sincere sympathies to Sally, J. Howard, and Ben Jr. upon the loss of their husband and father, along with our respect for his service to our country.