Jimmy Dewayne Sparkman of Lexington Dies at 88; Services Set Late February

Jimmy Dewayne Sparkman was born March 6, 1937, in Henderson County, Tenn., and died Saturday, February 21, 2026, the family obituary posted by Reed’s Chapel Funeral Home states. The Reed’s Chapel Life Tributes page, published on Legacy.com on Feb. 23, 2026, lists his name and dates as “March 6, 1937 - February 21, 2026.”

The obituary notes family survivors and reads in part, “He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Brenda Kay Barrow Sparkman; and two children, Cheryl Sparkman of Decatur County...” the posted excerpt shows, with the second child’s name not present in the excerpt supplied to the paper. The Reed’s Chapel page identifies Lexington, TN, as the community connection and names Brenda Kay Barrow Sparkman specifically as Jimmy’s spouse of 66 years.

Reed’s Chapel’s Life Tributes entry includes prompts for service information but the excerpt provided to this newsroom did not carry full visitation or funeral times. The original brief that accompanied the obituary indicated services set for late February or early March, but the Reed’s Chapel page itself features the label “View Obituary & Service Information,” suggesting the funeral home is maintaining the definitive schedule on its Lexington page.

Reed’s Chapel Funeral Home operates at 302 W Church St, Lexington, TN 38351, the address shown on the obituary page. The Life Tributes posting offered standard options for mourners, including “Send flowers to the Sparkman family,” “Make a Donation in Jimmy Sparkman's name,” and “To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.” At the time the page was captured there were 0 entries in the guest book and a prompt reading “Be the first to post a memory or condolences.”

Community context on the Reed’s Chapel page includes a list of other Sparkman obituaries that appear in the site’s navigation, such as Mrs. Kimberly Rachelle Hodges Sparkman and Winifred "Ray" Sparkman, underscoring the name’s presence in local funeral listings. The Life Tributes template also displays recent Lexington obituaries and resources like “How to Cope With Grief,” though specific biographical details about Jimmy’s work, memberships, and memorial preferences were not included in the supplied excerpt.

Neighbors or family members seeking the full obituary text, confirmed list of survivors, and the official service schedule can contact Reed’s Chapel at its Lexington location or view the funeral home’s Life Tributes posting on Legacy.com, where the family created the page “to make it easy to share your memories.”