Thomas Roger Sperring

Thomas Roger Sperring Sr., age 86, known as “Tom,” and “Papa” to family and friends, passed
away on March 30, 2020, at Haven E. T. York Care Center due to cardiovascular disease. Tom
is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Phyllis Sperring, his four children, Roger Sperring
(Diana), Audrey Mullett (Scott), Randy Sperring (Josephine), and Stacie Maurer (Craig), his
brother, Reginald (Bo) Sperring (Shirley), his sisters, Ellen Sperring Cooke (Bob), Frances
Sperring, and Betty Sperring Chester (Max), eleven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Charles Willard Sperring and Evie Platt Sperring, his
brothers: David Sperring (Ruth), Lewis Sperring (Kathryn), Charles Sperring (Barbara), and
Ollen Sperring (Julia), and his sister, Dorothy Sperring Neeper (Ray).
Tom was born in Live Oak, Florida on January 15, 1934. His close-knit, Christian family often
reminisces about growing up on the family farm when they gather for their annual
Thanksgiving family reunion with 100+ immediate and extended family members. Tom was
one of everyone’s favorites, as his love for them was pure and unyielding.
He graduated from Suwanee High School in 1952, where he was one of the fastest on the
football team. Upon Tom’s graduation, his father suffered a stroke and needed help with the
family farm. Tom chose to join the Air Force, allowing Bo an exemption to help his father. He
served in the Korean War along with David. A distinctive memory from that time was when
David changed planes at the air base where Tom was stationed, but departed minutes before
Tom learned he was there.
Always conscientious and independent, Tom was a natural entrepreneur. After serving our
country, he moved to Tampa and worked for the state in pest eradication and control. Tom
then began his own cleaning business, which grew from just himself to approximately 700
employees. They cleaned homes, offices, churches, and restaurants, and his business was
awarded state contracts extending outside of Tampa, despite never advertising. He always did
things his own way and used to say he wanted Frank Sinatra’s “I Did it My Way” played at his
funeral.
There were hints of Tom’s great acumen for business even during his childhood. While raising
a heifer calf, he traded it for a 1934 Ford, which he later drove to Jacksonville, Tampa, and
Gainesville, to attend FFA meetings. During his farming days, he and Bo used to crop tobacco
for $3 per day. Despite not enjoying farming, Tom worked six days per week, compared to
Bo’s five, in order to earn more money. Tom had a strong sense of responsibility and always
followed through, tirelessly and without objection.
In November of 1973, Tom married Phyllis and their two families became one. Tom and Phyllis
remained as much in love as they were when they first met. They are one of the lucky
couples who have what we all dream of, everlasting love that stays exciting and fun even after
more than four decades. They had a deep love for each other but at the same time, were
best friends and savvy business partners. They remained affectionate and inseparable
throughout the years, cheering for the Gators, working, attending charity events, nurturing
Tom’s love for antique cars, traveling, and watching their family grow. One of their greatest
joys was supporting the Florida Gators and being longtime members of the Bull Gators
program. Tom was the patriarch of the family and was their source of strength, always
available to give advice, assistance, and unconditional love. There was no end to his
generosity and his love of family.
Tom had a wide variety of interests and enjoyed his life, full of challenges, successes, and
endless new discoveries. He even owned and piloted his own aircraft, flying from Gainesville to
military bases in Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Georgia and Alabama to support his
businesses. During that time he took charge of cleaning 4-Star General, Norman Schwarzkopf’s
office at MacDill Air Force Base. He received the maintenance contract for The University of
Florida Athletic Department cleaning the skyboxes as well as Ben Hill Griffin stadium. Tom’s
businesses included key contracts such as the General Electric plant, cleaning the Oaks Mall
and Silver Springs in Ocala; street and parking lot sweeping; draw bridge tending throughout
Florida; maintenance of rest areas; tending locks and dams built by the Army Corps of
Engineers; and owning a water treatment plant in Flagler Beach.
When it came time to sell his main business, C&S Building Maintenance, and ‘retire,’ it wasn’t
long before he and Phyllis along with his best friend, Robert Rush, opened the CSI Academy of
Florida, providing crime scene analysis education. It was hard to distinguish which of his
ongoing ventures were business and which were hobbies because every aspect of his life
involved adventure and the intrigue of possibilities. Tom always lived for the present, forging
ahead with courage and wonderment despite having said, “One hundred years from now no
one will know the difference.” His wide range of diversity of interests knew no bounds and
there was nothing Tom could not do, at least from what his family witnessed. He did it all and
he did it his way, but most of all, he did it with humility and always remained a simple man
who was born on a farm in Live Oak.
Tom will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. We are all wiser and
more fulfilled having been a part of the beautiful life of this kind, successful family man who
did it all, his way.