Michael Emery Sprague

Michael E. Sprague, 73, of Fort Wayne, died Sunday, January 30, 2022 at his winter home in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida. Mike was born December 11, 1948 in Auburn. Mike was Director of  Data Center Operations for Lincoln Life Insurance and IBM for 32 years. Family was his everything and if you weren't family, he sure did make you feel like it if you were a friend. He met the love of his life whom he married 52 years ago. What a beautiful love they have. If you saw one, you were sure to see the other; from vacations to the Yogi Bear Campground to Cedar Point or to the DeKalb County Fair, they were always together. These past few years, while they spent the winter in Florida, he grew to love the Florida sunrises and sunsets and was so excited to share the beauty he captured. As a father, he was hands down their biggest cheerleader, pushing them to always do their best and making them feel like they were the best, even if they didn't believe it themselves. He was their hero and one of the smartest men they knew. As a grandfather, multiply that by 1,000. He was so proud of his grandkids. He would beam with pride when talking about any one of them. He was the type of person to give the shirt off his back or his last dollar to those in need. Many would describe him as kind, thoughtful, respectful, caring, loving, a true gentleman. Not only was he these things, but he was a jokester at heart which he learned honestly from his own father. Many will remember the "old man" mask he used to scare the daylights out of ya. He will be so deeply missed. He is survived by his wife, Rita Sprague of Fort Wayne; daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and Jeff VanderWeele  of Fort Wayne and Heather and Richard Dawson of Martinsville; mother, Alverta Sprague of Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Caleb (Ashley) Smith of Fort Wayne, Madelyn Dawson of Martinsville, Carter Dawson of Martinsville and Owen VanderWeele of Fort Wayne; sister and brother-in-law, Kim and Dave Cox of Angola; He was preceded in death by his father, Orval Emery Sprague; and two grandchildren. Funeral service for Mike will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday February 12, 2022 at Pinnington Funeral & Cremation Services 502 N. Main Street, Auburn. Visitation will also be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the funeral home. Rev. Andy Grimes will be officiating. Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society or Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital. m.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Michael Emery Sprague, please visit our floral store.