Donald W. Sprague Jr., 86, of Londonderry, NH, died Sunday February 3, 2019, in his home. He was born in Bridgeport, CT on August 8, 1932, a son of Donald and Vivian (Cone) Sprague.
Mr. Sprague was raised amid the dairy farms scattered along the shores of Lake Ontario in upstate NY. He attended Belleville Academy and graduated in 1950. He spent his summers working on various farms and in his father's feed store in Belleville, NY. He joined the Air Force in 1950 and during that time in 1953 he married Jacqueline Larkin from Adams, NY
He began his lifelong newspaper career in 1957 at the Jefferson County Journal in Adams, NY as the advertising manager. Over the next 40 years he won several advertising awards and was promoted several times by accepting positions with various New England daily newspapers. Through his perseverance and dedication, he was eventually named publisher of the North Adams, Massachusetts Transcript.
Mr. Sprague believed wholeheartedly in participating and giving back to the many communities in which he resided. He was president of the North Adams Chamber of Commerce and a director of the First Agricultural Bank. A Rotary Club member for many years he was also very involved in the redevelopment of downtown North Adams and collaborated with community leaders to build a new high school.
In 1992 he became Advertising Director and eventually Advertising Consultant to the Laconia, NH Citizen. While living in Laconia he devoted his spare time to voter registration and the United Way. In 1999 he was awarded Outstanding Volunteer for the Lakes Region United Way. He retired in 1997 and in 2006 they moved to Londonderry, NH to be closer to their family.
As a loving and caring husband, father, and grandfather, he loved to get together for camping, hiking, ice skating and long walks on the beach along the shore of Lake Ontario with his wife Jackie. For many years, he and his family returned to visit upstate New York which was always referred to as "home". For many years they rented a cottage on the lake, reconnecting with friends and family, most often around a campfire.
A very caring man, he loved to give hugs and always let you know you were loved. He will be sorely missed by his immediate and extended family as well as the many good friends he met along the way. He knew no strangers, they were just friends he hadn't met yet.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Jacqueline (Larkin) Sprague; two daughters, Jody Thibault and Lisa Freeman; two sons, Michael Sprague and Peter Sprague; grandchildren, Brian Sprague, Jeffrey Sprague, Sara Freeman, Christopher Freeman, Kelsie Sprague and Kolby Sprague; step-grandchildren, James Morocco, Michael Thibault, Shannon Hoskins and Meghan Sperone; step great-grandchildren, Joey Thibault, Tanner Hoskins, Bridgette Hoskins and Mikaela Hoskins; Evan Morocco and Ariana Morocco,his sister, Anne Sprague-Brown and several nieces and nephews.
Following cremation, a calling hour was held on February 7, 2019, from 9am to 10am in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Rd., Londonderry. A memorial service followed at 10:00am in the funeral home. The burial followed in the NH State Veterans Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Hwy., Boscawen, NH. Memorial contributions may be made to the Visiting Nurse Hospice of Manchester & Southern NH, 1070 Holt Ave., Suite 1400, Manchester, NH 03109.