SPECIAL DEDICATION TO 'SPARKY'
Stanley Pike was a man who lived for the thrill of being up there, lighter than air. Stan set his sights on the skies before he left Minnesota. Stan’s career spanned 42 years with the Goodyear Airship Operations where Stan was a Chief Electronics & T.V. Technician. If you ever looked up at a Goodyear Airship and read the sign, Stan likely programmed it in for you. Stan went by the name
“Sparky” to many of us, as a hat tip to 42 years of the electronics work that he loved. Stan had many great stories about the air ship adventures.
We never met Stan’s wife. She had passed before we knew Stan. But we knew that Darlene was always near, in his heart. Stan lost the love if his life before they could walk sandy beaches in the sunset together, without the call of the airship radio. As Stan considered retirement, he had to seek his next adventure with Darlene in his heart instead of at his side.
As Stan searched for new interests, he studied massage therapy as a possible avenue for his energy. I believe Stan was fully licensed. When we met Stan, he was an authority on the American Civil War. Stan spent many hours at Gettysburg and other locations. Stan considered contributing his knowledge to other generations through Civil War re-enacting as well. I never asked Stan to tell me the happenstance that introduced Stan to the paranormal. I don’t know if anyone on this side knows for certain. I imagine it happened while Stan pondered one of his possible adventures.
Given his curiosity for everything Gettysburg, Stan likely took a ghost tour there to see what “that” was about. I can only imagine that a guide (likely Spooky) instructed Stan’s group on the theory that we are all energy, and so ghost hunters use electrical gadgets to search for spirits. Somewhere that night the Civil War history, use of electrical, and radio equipment ignited the “spark” for Sparky.
Stan had gadgets galore; he was all-in by the time he walked into a ghost hunt sign-in and introduced himself. Stan sought evidence with special microphones, full spectrum video, white noise; he was messing with geophones, and he had a trusty pair of dowsing rods. Sparky was a wonderful student and a masterful teacher both at once; always seeking to learn and happy to help others learn as well. Sparky was quick to point out that ghost hunting using IR emitters and video cameras might be a little pointless. “What happens to the shadow when you shine a light on it?” he would often ask. Sparky brought the new perspective and keen eyes of the electrical master to our ghost hunting entourage.
Above all else, we remember the quick witted, fun loving, genuinely caring character that was Stan “Sparky” Pike. Sparky loved joking around and he had great stories. Stan was the kind of guy that could walk up to a group of eight strangers and have eight new friends within 20 minutes. When it was time, Sparky was ready to get down to the business at hand; and always lending a hand. He is probably out there now somewhere trying to find a way to contact us, to tell us one more witty story….
Tribute Proudly Written by Joe Dutt
