Leo Sparks (1924-2021)
Jun. 10—Leo Sparks, who with his wife joined his brothers and their wives as founders in the 1950s of the Original Gino's Pizza in West Toledo and, in so doing, introduced many to what would become a cheesy staple of American cuisine, died Sunday in his West Toledo home. He was 97.
He had pneumonia and was in declining health, his daughter Nancy Geitgey said. The day before, he and his wife, Frances, marked their 78th wedding anniversary.
The brothers Sparagowski — Steve, William, Ed, and Leo — and their wives established Gino's in the mid-1950s at Central Avenue and Monroe Street in a building that had housed a burger place.
"They were all part owners at one point in time," granddaughter Angela Geitgey said.
There were few other pizza places in Toledo at the time.
"It was called pizza pie at the time, and maybe one out of 10 people knew what it was," Jack Sparagowski said in 2002 after the death of his father, William.
Gino's won diners over.
"It was the taste of the pizza," his daughter said. "People enjoyed the taste and kept coming back."
His granddaughter said: "He was proud of it."
Each family member had multiple restaurant duties, often performed after a day at another job. For instance, Mr. Sparks came to the restaurant after working a shift at Jeep. He helped with day-to-day operations at Gino's and made the dough.
"He was a worker," his granddaughter said. "As a grandchild, I remember staying at their house and having to get up and help make dough." The Sparks lived on Midwood Avenue, around the corner from the restaurant.
From 1966-70, Mr. Sparks — who changed his last name to simplify it — also operated the Midwood Bar.
The brothers and wives decided it was time to retire and sold Gino's in 1986 to Charles Kreutz, who had become a family friend.
He was born Feb. 18, 1924, to Elizabeth and Martin Sparagowski, the youngest of 10, and grew up on Crissey Road in Springfield Township. Helping on the family farm was his first job.
He was a Coast Guard veteran of World War II, serving in Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He resumed his employment at Willys-Overland Motors after the war. He retired in 1972 from Jeep, by then owned by American Motors Corp.
Cultivating the earth remained an interest. Every spring for decades, he planted a 30-foot by 40-foot garden — green peppers, sweet corn, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes.
"You think of it, he had it," his granddaughter said. "He would give everything away to family and friends."
In later years, he got to the garden on his riding mower.
"Sometimes we couldn't find my dad, and there he was, outside. He had that farmer's blood in him," his daughter said. "He wanted to be outside all the time."
He and his wife traveled widely.
"He was a conversation starter, an all-around good guy," his granddaughter said.
Surviving are his wife, the former Frances Zera; whom he married June 5, 1943; daughters Geraldine Oberheu and Nancy Geitgey; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren;
Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday in Sujkowski Funeral Home Northpointe, with a Scripture service at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in Christ the King Church, of which he was a member.
The family suggests tributes to Ohio Living Hospice.
