TOM SPONSLER
1978 - 1986
PILOT
DEN


Although I haven't kept a record of dates of passing, 
I do know these to be correct;
Bert Clark  10/28/98
John Harlan  1/28/98
Mark Burke  5/19/97
Tom Sponsler  10/24/98
Andy Hoshock  10/11/96
Bob Arnot  9/1/96
Jack Newland  7/29/98
Jed Mackenroth  11/18/96
Russ Miller  5/18/97
Bill MacCleod  1/29/96
Bob Bollinger  11/12/96
Bob Owen  7/20/75
Del Zusman  4/22/95
Jack Rogers  7/16/95
Jim Walraven  7/97
-Ace Avakian
(6/2/99)

That is Tom Sponsler, the pilot, in the pic. 
You may keep it if you like.
-Lanette Duncan
(3/18/00)

Tom's was a sad ending to a really nice guy.  
He dropped dead from a heart attack in a parking lot. 
That would have been October 24, 1998. 
-Billy Walker
(8/10/01)

Darn!  He was a nice guy.  Did he go over to CAL, or somewhere else?
-Mark Ingram
(8/10/01)

I ran into Tom many times during my FL career.
He was always cheery, said hello and chatted a moment - no matter what.
Just an all-round nice guy.
He died the day before his 54th birthday.
-Jake Lamkins
(7/7/03)

1982	5/31	Last FL CV580 flight made, 
FL had flown them since 1964 - 18 years, 
FL935 OMA-LNK-LBF-BFF-DEN terminating 7:30 pm 
crewed by Capt. Jerry Hagen, FO Tom Sponsler, FA Marisa Zamora
-FL Timeline and article in Jul 1982 FL News
(9/2/04)

Posted at FLacebook and the FL Club:
DEN pilot Tom Sponsler's memorial webpage has been updated.
http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Tom_Sponsler.html
Found several more items but
still need an obituary for Tom.
-Jake Lamkins
(4/6/13)

Even though it looks like there was a memorial in Grand Prairie, 
he actually died in Arizona.  He had just moved there not long before he passed.
He had been married to FAL FA Connie (do not recall her maiden name) 
Sponsler but they were divorced by that time.  
They were married the year I graduated from high school!  
I guess I didn’t remember that they were already married when he came to work for FL.
Yes, he was a great guy, very talented  and 
was a brilliant singer in high school in Grand Prairie, TX. 
Tom would have graduated high school in about 1963 
if I recall the high school musical productions I used to attend with my sister.  
She graduated in ’61, and he was a year or two younger than her.  
I would say he was born about 1945-ish.  
I came in ’70, and I don’t think he came to work there until several years later.  
I was already off CV-580 trips and flying 737s. 
I remember going into the cockpit and meeting a new First Officer, 
and as soon as he said Tom (I knew him as Tommy) Sponsler I said, “Oh, Curly from “Oklahoma!”.  
He had played that role in what we called “The Geep High Capers” in about 1963 or so.  
THAT’s where I knew him from first, although I had never met him. 
He was a great guy, very personable and happy go lucky. 
-Donna Harrison
(4/10/13)