- Date Of Birth: April 21, 1933
- Date Of Death: August 19, 2018
- State: Connecticut
Jean Sparklin Hager, 85, of Cromwell, CT, died peacefully on August 19, 2018. Jean was born on April 21, 1933 in Marshallton, Delaware, daughter of James and Ruth (Melson) Sparklin. In 1936 the family moved to Rochester, NY where Jean attended school and graduated from Brighton High School in 1951. She attended Beaver College (now Arcadia University) in Pennsylvania where she met and subsequently married her husband of 60 years, Bob Hager.
Bob graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1954 commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and was assigned to Fort Eustice, VA, where Jean gave birth to their twin daughters, Elizabeth and Virginia. In 1956 they moved to Syracuse, NY, where sister Barbara was born the following year, less than two years after the twins! Jean was a devoted wife, mother and homemaker as the family moved to Pittsford, NY; Darien, CT; and then Orchard Park, NY, where the girls graduated from high school.
Jean always loved to read and made many friends through the years through book clubs. She and Bob instilled in their daughters a love of reading, music, and learning. Jean lovingly made many quilts for family members, and more recently coordinated a knitting group at CVOC.
Jean was preceded in death by her loving husband, Robert Sherwood Hager (1932-2014). She is survived by her daughters, Elizabeth (Betsy) Hager Lord (David) of Odenton, MD; Virginia Russell Hager of Wilmington, NC; and Barbara Gail Hager of Bridgeport, CT; three grandchildren: Brandon Lord (Renee), Bruce Lord, and Joshua Neiburger; and two great-grandchildren, Griffin and Zachary. She is also survived by her dear sister, Mary Ann Woodruff (Mary Dispenza) of Bellevue, WA, nephew Jim Woodruff (Jonae) of Portland, OR, and niece Katie Woodruff (Tim Miller) of San Leandro, CA, and great nieces and nephews Rita, Kurt, Jamie, and Tess.
The family is very grateful to Middlesex Hospice and to all the wonderful staff at Pilgrim Manor at Covenant Village of Cromwell, for their tender care of Jean during her last weeks.
