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Patrick ‘Paddy’ James Mathew Sparr, Jr., 23

Patrick “Paddy” James Mathew Sparr, Jr., 23, left this earth too soon on Friday Oct. 6, 2017 in Post Falls, Idaho as a result of a tragic car accident.

Patrick, who will always be remembered for how he lived his life, not how he died, was born on April 26, 1994 to Caroline Antoinette and Patrick Michael Sparr, Sr. in Carmel Valley, Calif. He grew up and attended various schools in California and Oregon until he and his family moved to Hayden, Idaho in 2005. He attended Canfield Middle School, Coeur d’Alene High School and graduated from Kootenai Bridge Academy in 2012.

He loved helping his dad work on cars, something which gave him a passion for cars which lasted the entirety of his life. He worked many different jobs, most recently working as a heavy equipment operator. If you drove on I-90 this summer heading east out of Coeur d’Alene, you saw him riding a steam roller with the construction crew. He loved working heavy equipment and had obtained his CDL. He and a friend were excited to start their own excavation business.

He took up mixed martial arts training and worked hard with coaches, Parker Estes and Trevor Prangley of A.K.A., and successfully fought and won two fights. Both were won by knockout in the first seconds of the first round. He was also very clever in buying and selling automobiles. He had an ever-changing fleet of cars to drive, buying and selling his way up.

Paddy loved spending time with friends and family. When he walked into a room you immediately felt bathed in the light of his big, warm loving personality. He loved and was loved greatly and deeply. He never met a stranger. He would help anyone who needed it.

His work ethic was second to none, regardless of the challenge before him. His indomitable spirit and great love for people are two of the traits he will always be remembered for. He was baptized at Real Life Ministries, in Post Falls, and knew Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior — a trait all could see in the light that shone so brightly from his life.

Patrick loved music: quoting his favorite lines from songs, making up his own lyrics, dancing, laughing and living life to its absolute fullest. This manifested in skydiving over Lake Chelan in 2015 to hanging with his nephews, Westen and Presten, any time, to getting to see his beloved Dolphins play in Seattle in 2016. He was not afraid to be goofy and always built-up those around him.

He is survived by his mother and father; sister, Lauren Sobel; brothers, Josh Micke and wife Danielle of Spirit Lake, Matt Micke and wife Amy of Portland, Ore., Ray Helnore and wife Teryn and Danny; nephews and nieces, Westen, Presten, Laurissa, Tallulah, Lacey and Callum; Trinity, Liam, Eden and Issaiah; Moses and Noah; Evan, Brenton, Jace and, many, many loving friends, including those he considered his adopted family members who considered Patrick as much a part of their family and lives as if he had been born there in the first place. Patrick spent many holidays and vacations with Tony, Gwen and Vincent Marmon.

We leave you with Patrick’s own words, “Never take time for granted, you only have so much.”

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017 at The Altar Church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Until we meet again.