Arthur Eugene Spratley

Published 10:40 am Thursday, June 11, 2015

A funeral mass for Arthur Eugene Spratley will be Friday, June 12, 2015, at 11 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Brookhaven with burial at the Catholic cemetery in Brookhaven. Harrigill Funeral Home of Brookhaven is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation will be Friday, June 12, 2015, at 10 a.m. until the time of the services.

Mr. Spratley, 89, formerly of Gulfport died Friday, June 6, 2015, with his family by his side at their home in Brookhaven. He was born in Pascagoula on June 24, 1925.

He attended Our Lady of Victory Catholic School where he graduated in May 1943 as salutatorian. During World War II, Mr. Spratley served in the United States Navy, attending Rice University as a Naval Officer while studying Naval Engineering. He attained the rank of First Lieutenant and served in the U.S. Naval Reserves until his honorable discharge in 1947.

Upon completing military service, Mr. Spratley entered the banking industry, graduating from the Rutgers School of Banking.  He worked for Pascagoula Moss Point Bank where he met his wife-to-be, Catherine Lindner, and they married in February 1949. He then served as a Federal Bank Examiner where he examined banks throughout Mississippi and Alabama. In 1950, they moved to Gulfport, where they started their family of five children and lived for the next 55 years, retiring from banking and financial consulting.

Mr. Spratley was a past president of the Gulfport Jaycees, served 15 years on the District Committee and two years as District Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America, and was awarded the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award in 1963. He served as a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board for 10 years, was a past director of the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce, and served as a Charter Member of the St. James Council of the Gulfport Knights of Columbus. He maintained his fourth degree status at the Brookhaven Knights of Columbus, Joseph Bonfiglio Council.

He was selected as the recipient of Gulfport’s Distinguished Service Award in 1958 and was runner-up for the state award that same year. Mr. Spratley served as Colonel on the staff of Governor Paul B. Johnson Jr. for four years. He also coached his three sons through almost a decade of youth baseball. He continued his love of sports as an avid New Orleans Saints and New York Yankees fan. He faithfully supported every sports team of his children’s alma maters. Mr. Spratley was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Brookhaven.

Mr. Spratley was preceded in death by the love of his life, his wife, Catherine, on Jan. 6, 2015. On Feb. 22, 2014, they celebrated their 65^th wedding anniversary with a special Nuptial Mass renewing their vows at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Brookhaven. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sidney E. Spratley; his brother, Edgar Spratley; and his sister, Mary Louise Bramlett.

Survivors are his five children, daughters, Laurie (Monty) Stephens of Lake City, Florida and Amy (Rob) Mason of Brookhaven; sons, Michael (Pattie) Spratley of Baltimore, Marlyland, John (Wendy) Spratley of Birmingham, Alabama and Stephen Spratley of Lake Charles, Louisiana; his six grandchildren, Sarah Stephens, Marissa Spratley, Abigail Spratley, Janie Spratley, Zachary Mason and Eva Mason.

Since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005, Mr. and Mrs. Spratley have been lovingly cared for by their youngest daughter, Amy Mason, her husband Rob and seven-year-old granddaughter Eva in their home in Brookhaven. The Spratley family would like to give heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Veronica Lawson, as well as very special thanks to Tracy Freeny and Mildred Virgil with Sta-Home Health for the loving care they have all provided both Mr. and Mrs. Spratley.

In lieu of flowers the family prefers donations to Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.