Richard Sprague
November 13, 1931 - May 28, 2008
Obituary
Richard S. SPRAGUE 1931 ~ 2008 Dick Sprague, all-American football player, distinguished attorney and civic leader died May 28 after a long, courageous battle with cancer. In 1950, he and his teammate Don Heinrich were the first sophomores in Husky history to be namedall-American. Dick lettered in three sports and was the only Husky athlete to be offered a full-ride scholarship to Harvard Law School. Dick’s legal career included 40years with Bogle & Gates, where he served as managing partner, and 12 years with Kemper Development Company in Bellevue. His civic contributions included serving two terms as president of the University of Washington Alumni Association, president of the Washington Athletic Club, president of the UW Tyee Board, president of Greater Seattle, Inc. Seafair, president of the local March of Dimes chapter and Ronald McDonald House, president of the board of University Preparatory Academy and board member of Virginia Mason Hospital. He also served as a member of the Board of Regents of Gonzaga University and was a long-standing member of the board of First Mutual Bank. Dick was born in Spokane, graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1949, UW in 1953 and Harvard Law School in 1956. At Harvard, he helped coach the football team, where one of his players was now Senator Ted Kennedy. As a Husky, he starred in football from 1950 to 1952 and also played varsity basketball and track. He was football captain in 1952 and was winner of the 101 Club Scholarship Award as the team’s top scholar. He was selected for the Husky Centennial Team in 1990, elected to the Husky Hall of Fame in 1995 and honored as a Husky Legend in 1999. He was also a recipient of the UW’s Dave and Ruth Cohn award. He is survived by his wife, Ellie Sprague, sons John Elaine and Collins Mimi Sprague, their mother Monterey Sprague, brothers Tom Beverly and David Anne Arness Sprague, sister Marie Don Travis and Ellie’s children Rex Gayle, Joe Kimberly and Andrew Camille Parker, daughter Erica Mike Carr and nine grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Michael, sisters Patricia Sprague and Shirley Nordean and his parents, Severn and Estelle Sprague. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday June 6 at Sacred Heart Church, 9460 North 14th Street in Bellevue. Remembrances may be made to Providence Hospice, 425 Pontius North, Seattle 98109 or the Oncology Research Fund for Prostate Cancer, c/o Dr. Tia Higano, 825 Eastlake Avenue East, Seattle 98109.