Irene Castle (Dowdy) Sparks, age 91, of Grand Rapids, formerly of Hazel Park, MI, went home to be with her Lord on Thursday, May 20, 2021. She was preceded in death by her husbands, W. H. Dowdy and Charles Sparks; grandson, Scott Ruhlman. She will be lovingly remembered by her daughters, Debra and Raymond Ross, Lynette and Steve Ruhlman; grandchildren, Raymond Ross III, Lindsay (Jason Gavie) Ross, Amy and Tom Lisi, Beth and Jordan Richardson; great grandsons, Mac Gavie, Vaughn Lisi. Funeral services will be held 12 noon Sunday, May 23, 2021 at Matthysse Kuiper DeGraaf Funeral Home, 4646 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Kentwood with Chaplain Beth Rodenhouse. Relatives and friends may meet the family from 11 to 12 noon prior to the service on Sunday at the funeral home. Burial at Christian Memorial Gardens West in Rochester, MI. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.