Obituary for Jean Naomi Sparks Kroner
Jean Naomi Sparks-Kroner passed away on July 7, 2022. Jean was born on January 9, 1931, in Cincinnati, daughter of Phillip and Loretta (Stevens) Paolello. She graduated from St. Xavier Commercial School in 1947 and then entered the convent with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur as a novitiate, Sister Ann Phillip. After spending a year in the convent, she decided this was not her vocation, even though her faith remained strong throughout her life.
She entered the workforce at Westinghouse Electric and spent most of her working career as an Executive Administrative Assistant at places like Westinghouse, NuTone, TexStyle and Young, Reverman and Mazzei. Through her Westinghouse co-worker and friend, Rita Meyung, Jean met Shirley Meyung and set her up as a blind date with her brother, Nick. Nick in return, later set Jean up on a date with his fellow worker, a guy that went by the name of Sparky. Nick and Shirley later married, and Jean married Justice Sparks (Sparky) on May 22, 1954. They remained married for over 35 years, until Sparky’s death on October 1, 1989.
Jean later married Sheldon Kroner on November 20, 1993. They remained married for nearly 21 years, until Sheldon passed on August 21, 2014.
Jean enjoyed dancing, artwork, spending time in the Florida sunshine, listening to the Cincinnati Reds baseball games and caring for all her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Sparks-Kroner, Jean (nee Paolello). Age 91 years. Beloved wife of the late Justice A. Sparks and Sheldon R. Kroner, Sr.
Loving mother of David (Ann) Sparks; Gary (Debby) Sparks; John (Kathrine) Sparks. Loving stepmother of Sheldon “Buz” (Maureen) Kroner, Jr.; the late Susanne Drake; Judy Tipton; Mario (Terrie) Kroner; Bernadette (the late Mark) Lewis; Celeste (Adolfo) Manriquez; Angela (Jaime) Rivera; Annette (Doug) McConnell.
Devoted grandma to: Gina (Jason) Rust; Gregory (Jenny) Sparks; Angela (Nathan) Stuller; Carolyn (Nathan) Williams; Jennifer (Nick) Sweis; Zachery (Rachel Geiger) Sparks; Lindsay Sparks; Morgan (Tyler) Iverson and loving step-grandma to many.
She is survived by 16 great grandchildren and many beautiful step great grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Sister of: Phillip (the late Dee) Paolello: the late Virginia Melchiore; the late Dorothy (the late Harold) Grundei; the late Nick (Shirley) Paolello; the late Jack Paolello; Jim (Joy) Paolello; the late Bob (Shirley) Paolello.
Family and friends are invited to attend Funeral Mass on Friday, July 22, 2022, at 10:30am at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church, 5222 North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, 45247. Family will receive friends immediately following Mass in Loyola Hall (church undercroft) for greetings and a Celebration of Life. A private burial for family only will follow at St. Bernard Church Cemetery, 7130 Harrison Pk., (Taylor Creek).
Memorials may be made to: Pulmonary Hypertension Association, 8401 Colesville Rd., Suite 200, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (PHAssociation.org), or Hospice of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 633597, Cincinnati, OH 45263-3597 (HospiceofCincinnati.org).
She entered the workforce at Westinghouse Electric and spent most of her working career as an Executive Administrative Assistant at places like Westinghouse, NuTone, TexStyle and Young, Reverman and Mazzei. Through her Westinghouse co-worker and friend, Rita Meyung, Jean met Shirley Meyung and set her up as a blind date with her brother, Nick. Nick in return, later set Jean up on a date with his fellow worker, a guy that went by the name of Sparky. Nick and Shirley later married, and Jean married Justice Sparks (Sparky) on May 22, 1954. They remained married for over 35 years, until Sparky’s death on October 1, 1989.
Jean later married Sheldon Kroner on November 20, 1993. They remained married for nearly 21 years, until Sheldon passed on August 21, 2014.
Jean enjoyed dancing, artwork, spending time in the Florida sunshine, listening to the Cincinnati Reds baseball games and caring for all her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Sparks-Kroner, Jean (nee Paolello). Age 91 years. Beloved wife of the late Justice A. Sparks and Sheldon R. Kroner, Sr.
Loving mother of David (Ann) Sparks; Gary (Debby) Sparks; John (Kathrine) Sparks. Loving stepmother of Sheldon “Buz” (Maureen) Kroner, Jr.; the late Susanne Drake; Judy Tipton; Mario (Terrie) Kroner; Bernadette (the late Mark) Lewis; Celeste (Adolfo) Manriquez; Angela (Jaime) Rivera; Annette (Doug) McConnell.
Devoted grandma to: Gina (Jason) Rust; Gregory (Jenny) Sparks; Angela (Nathan) Stuller; Carolyn (Nathan) Williams; Jennifer (Nick) Sweis; Zachery (Rachel Geiger) Sparks; Lindsay Sparks; Morgan (Tyler) Iverson and loving step-grandma to many.
She is survived by 16 great grandchildren and many beautiful step great grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Sister of: Phillip (the late Dee) Paolello: the late Virginia Melchiore; the late Dorothy (the late Harold) Grundei; the late Nick (Shirley) Paolello; the late Jack Paolello; Jim (Joy) Paolello; the late Bob (Shirley) Paolello.
Family and friends are invited to attend Funeral Mass on Friday, July 22, 2022, at 10:30am at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church, 5222 North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, 45247. Family will receive friends immediately following Mass in Loyola Hall (church undercroft) for greetings and a Celebration of Life. A private burial for family only will follow at St. Bernard Church Cemetery, 7130 Harrison Pk., (Taylor Creek).
Memorials may be made to: Pulmonary Hypertension Association, 8401 Colesville Rd., Suite 200, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (PHAssociation.org), or Hospice of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 633597, Cincinnati, OH 45263-3597 (HospiceofCincinnati.org).